Just A Dream
by cookiekendrick47
Summary: Beca goes to Barden, but falls for Chloe instead of Jesse. Chloe had never put a label on her sexuality, although she had never kissed a girl before. What happens when Beca turns her world upside down? Bechloe fluff/relationship. Side Staubrey. A/N: I don't own any of the characters, parts of the plot, or the cover image.
1. Chapter 1 - The Shower

The first time Chloe saw Beca at the activities fair, it felt like something inside her just snapped into place. Damn, that girl was beautiful. Something about the way she looked, the way she carried herself, was just irresistible. At least it was to Chloe, maybe not so much to Aubrey. It was safe to say Aubrey and Beca didn't exactly hit it off from the start, but Chloe was hooked. Their first encounter was all too brief and left Chloe dying to know more. Who was this gorgeous girl, and why was Chloe so drawn to her? She had to find out, but she didn't even know her name.

Unfortunately, Chloe didn't see much of Beca for the first month of school – but not for lack of trying; she just couldn't seem to find the mysterious freshman. Probably because Chloe was a senior, trying to stalk a freshman…their schedules were as different as night and day. Not to mention stalking someone whose name you don't know is a little challenging. One night, though, Chloe was in the shower fooling around with Tom, some guy that had been pursuing her for a while when she heard the most beautiful voice, singing "Titanium." The Bellas were desperate for girls who could sing, and Chloe was desperate to find Beca again, so she took a chance and left her boy to take care of himself while she went in search of the voice.

She knew she would have been disappointed had it not been Beca she found when she pulled open the shower curtain. Once she did, she must have spent a good thirty seconds just staring at the girl in front of her. God Beca was hot.

"You can sing!" Exclaimed Chloe, beaming. Chloe's excitement had nothing to do with the fact that the girl was, in fact, Beca. Nope. Nothing at all. She was just excited to find a "super hot girl with a bikini-ready body, who can harmonize and has perfect pitch." You know, for Aubrey and her standards.

Beca spun around quickly, cutting herself off mid-verse, mouth agape; Chloe almost launched herself at the girl. To hug her, of course. Friends hug, and Chloe wanted them to be friends, right? Yeah.

"DUDE!" Beca gasped, yanking the shower curtain shut. Chloe just yanked it open again, stepping into Beca's personal space to turn the water off.

"How high does your belt go?" Chloe questioned. She didn't even try to stop her eyes from roaming Beca's body. Everything about Beca was perfect. Suddenly she had the overwhelming urge to trail kisses from Beca's lips, to her collarbone, over the swell of breasts, across her stomach and down her hips…she wanted to do things to this girl that she had never even thought of before. She wanted to make Beca moan her name. _Wait. What?_ What was happening here?

"My what?!" Beca was beyond flustered. She certainly hadn't missed Chloe's eyes roving her body, and the redhead was making no effort to cover herself up, giving Beca plenty of time to drink her in. Beca, however, did her best to keep herself from ogling her sudden companion.

"You have to audition for the Bellas!" Chloe continued, oblivious to Beca's awkwardness.

"I can't concentrate on anything you're saying until you cover your junk!" Beca replied. It wasn't that she wasn't enjoying the view, oh no, she certainly was. At least, when she allowed herself to sneak peeks. But it really was hard to concentrate when Chloe's flawless, naked body was right in front of her. Close enough to touch. And Beca _wanted_ to touch her. So badly.

"Just...consider it! One time we sang backup for Prince! His butt is so tiny, I can hold it with like one hand." Chloe persuaded, stepping closer to Beca. Beca, on the other hand, was still trying to cover herself up with her loofa and a shampoo bottle. She even succeeded in grabbing the corner of the shower curtain, until Chloe knocked everything out of her hands while demonstrating just how tiny Prince's butt was. Beca just gave up at that point, turning to face the wall. Not that Chloe minded, it gave her a great view of Beca's ass and the tattoos on her back.

"Seriously. I am nude." She looked over her shoulder at Chloe, incredulity painted all over her face.

"You were singing Titanium, right?" Chloe stepped forward yet again. Damn, this brunette was doing things to her. It was like she was being pulled towards Beca.

"You know David Guetta?" Beca cracked a smile at that, at least the intruder had good taste in music.

Have I been living under a rock? Yeah! That song is my jam! My lady jam…" Chloe winked.

"That's nice." Beca breathed, immediately picturing Chloe doing very inappropriate things. She turned back to the wall to hide the blush that was undoubtedly turning her red as a tomato.

"It is. That song really builds…" Chloe winked again.

"Gross…" Beca muttered. Not that she really thought it was gross, but Chloe's hand motions made her remember Tom and the thought of Chloe with Tom…gross.

"Can you sing it for me?" Chloe looked hopeful, dying to hear Beca's rich alto voice fill the showers again.

"Dude, no! Get out!" Beca exclaimed. Wait. What? Chloe wanted her to sing her lady jam…why was Beca turning this down again? Oh right. Naked. And as much as she kind of didn't want the ginger to leave, her awkwardness took over. She couldn't just sing in a shower naked with a girl she barely knew. That was _not_ normal.

"I'm not leaving here until you sing. So…" Chloe sighed, hands on her hips, fully confident in her nakedness. Beca took a quick second to make sure she wasn't imagining things – a staggeringly beautiful redhead, practically out of her dreams, that she never thought she would see again was standing in her shower. Asking her to sing a song that gets her off. Beca blew out a short breath and turned around, still attempting to cover herself, and picked up exactly where she left off. At first she had intended on just looking at the floor, or her feet, or anywhere but Chloe really. But as she turned around, she her gaze caught those endless pools of cerulean, and she was a goner. Beca couldn't tear her eyes away from Chloe's as she sang. When Chloe jumped in, harmonizing with her flawlessly, Beca almost lost it. The result was exquisite. There was this electric connection between them, so strong that Beca even relaxed and took an involuntary step towards Chloe, bringing them closer yet again. They trailed off their singing, gazing into each other's eyes, smiling the secret smiles of two people falling in love without even realizing it. Beca let her eyes drop, tracing Chloe's curves, lingering longer than necessary, prompting Chloe to say something about being pretty confident about all that as she motioned to her physique. Beca quickly agreed with her, who wouldn't?

"So…" Chloe ran one hand down Beca's arm, completely lost in the moment. She was about to take one last step and close the distance between them…until the boy Chloe had been with decided to pop his head in to retrieve her.

"You have a lovely voice," he said to Beca, who flinched away from Chloe and scrambled to cover herself up once more. He had no qualms about standing there perfectly naked and leering at both girls, obviously letting his mind wander to very dirty scenarios. Not that either girl had a problem with those scenarios, but they preferred them sans Tom.

"Thanks." She snapped, irritated to have been interrupted, and even more irritated that this guy was obviously with Chloe. Oh yeah, and she was naked. In front of two people she barely knew. Cool.

"So I'll definitely see you at auditions, right?" Chloe asked, quickly masking her disappointment at the interruption.

Beca gave a half smile and said, "If you'll be there, I'll be there." She would do pretty much anything to see Chloe again. Chloe beamed that brilliant smile at Beca one more time, taking another long look at Beca's petite and unbelievably sexy body before intruder #2 cleared his throat in an unmistakable request for Chloe's undivided attention. Or to be invited in to join the girls. Chloe shuddered at the thought of sharing Beca – wait, sharing Beca? Beca wasn't hers to share… She quickly shook off the thought and reluctantly vacated Beca's shower, much to the disappointment of both girls. Instead of returning to the shower with Tom, however, Chloe made up a lame excuse and left. She couldn't stop thinking about Beca, and she wanted to go home and listen to her lady jam. It was so much better now.

Auditions were quickly approaching, Chloe thought as she quickly walked home, so she would see Beca soon. Hope overwhelmed her; not seeing Beca again wasn't an option. She had to know what it would feel like to have Beca's lips on hers…


	2. Chapter 2 - Auditions

Auditions were almost over, and still no sight of the tiny brunette that had, in two meetings, managed to capture at least a piece of Chloe's heart. Probably the whole thing, but Chloe was too out of her element to be sure. She had dated a few guys, even thought she had been in love once, but this was something entirely new. This was chemistry, lust, desire like she had never known before. She wanted Beca, she needed Beca. All Beca had to do was show up…Chloe had no intention of being shy about it. That wasn't her style. She was going to dive into this, whatever this was, head on. But Beca was nowhere in sight. After the last candidate butchered the closing notes of the audition song, Chloe's heart sank. Beca wasn't coming, which probably meant she didn't want to see her again. Hell, Beca was probably straight. Chloe was straight…wasn't she? No, Chloe was fluid. Chloe liked people, she had just never met a girl like Beca. She started to gather her stuff, Aubrey nattering away at her side about the potential new Bellas and such, when she caught a glimpse of Beca standing at the side of the stage. She looked so nervous, it was adorable.

"Wait!" Chloe practically screamed, "There's one more!" She flashed a warm smile at Beca, instantly melting Beca's heart and giving her the courage to walk across the stage.

"I, uh, didn't know we had to prepare that song…" Beca said uncertainly. The rest of the newbies had performed "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, but Beca hardly knew how it went.

"It's okay," Chloe reassured her, "sing whatever you want." Another soft smile from Chloe and Beca knew it was all over for her. She had to get into the Bellas, she had to get closer to Chloe. So she sat down on the stage in front of Chloe and Aubrey, and leaned over to grab the cup sitting on their table, making sure to give Chloe a good view of her cleavage. Chloe, of course, took notice and made no attempt to hide her stare until Aubrey, who had no idea what had happened or what was going on between the two girls, gave her a sharp elbow in the ribs. Chloe glared at Aubrey and motioned for Beca to begin. Beca started tapping out the beat to a song Chloe had never heard before but would later learn to be "Cups" by LuLu and the Lampshades, and Chloe thought it was amazing. Beca had incredible talent, which Chloe already knew, but the best part was how Beca didn't take her eyes off Chloe even once during the entire song. The sparks flying between them were visible to everyone in the room, but when the song was done Beca had to leave and Chloe had to go and debate the potential candidates with Aubrey. Beca stood up, with one last glance at Chloe, and something in her eyes made Chloe's heart jump. But maybe Beca just really wanted to get into the Bellas, Chloe chided herself. She knew that was unlikely, though, because Beca had made it perfectly clear that she thought a cappella was lame when she first met Aubrey and Chloe at the activities fair. So maybe she really had come for Chloe…or so she hoped. She had been doing a lot of that, lately. Hoping. Much more than she was used to, since she usually just let guys drift in and out of her life without putting much effort into her relationships with them. They never really caught her attention; they were more just a way to pass the time. Sure, she treated them well. She treated everyone well, she loved people. But none of them had been special. Beca, on the other hand, was so much more. Beca was special. And Chloe hardly even knew her.

Beca walked out of auditions and blew out a breath, relieved to have that over with. She was a little shaken up about almost missing it – her phone died so she had no alarm to wake her up, and yeah she probably should have plugged it in the night before but she didn't. Sue her. She hadn't exactly planned on coming to auditions anyway. Sure, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Chloe – I mean hell, the girl was literally something out of her dreams. But she didn't know about all this a capella business. It seemed kind of lame to her – which is exactly what she had told Chloe at the activities fair. Which would explain Aubrey's look of confusion when she had walked out on stage today, and her disdain when she realized Beca could sing. Truth be told, Beca was a phenomenal singer and she knew it. She had just lied to Chloe and Aubrey that day to get out of the awkward situation. But after seeing Chloe's face light up as she walked into auditions, Beca was glad the feisty ginger had caught her in the shower that day. Beca normally despised people who had all the temperament of a bouncy, playful kitten but Chloe was simply intoxicating. So she had kind of maybe set some alarms to kind of maybe make it to auditions but somehow forgot to plug her phone in to make sure she actually made it on time. Hence the situation she had found herself in, which wound up working to her advantage if the megawatt grin on Chloe's face at the end was anything to go by. And to think, Beca had almost missed them.

She was abruptly snapped out of her reverie when she bumped into something solid that proceeded to laugh at her. She took her headphones off and glared at the offending person only to find it was none other than Jesse, the guy she interned with at the radio station.

"Hey, Beca!" He grinned cheerfully. "I saw your audition! Where did you learn to do that?"

"Just something I picked up." Beca muttered, looking away from him. She didn't really feel like fending off his advances right then.

"That was awesome! Maybe you can teach it to me sometime?" He asked hopefully. Jesse looked so much like a sad little puppy right then that Beca almost said yes out of pity. Fortuantely, her good sense took over.

"Uh, YouTube is a much better teacher than I am. Listen, I've gotta go, I'll see you at work." Beca started walking away from him, barely hearing him say something about seeing her later at hood night instead. She had no idea what the hell hood night was, and she didn't much care. All she wanted right now was a hot shower and some time alone with her mixing equipment.


	3. Chapter 3 - Hood Night

**A/N: Hey guys! Super excited to have 17 followers on my first fic, thanks! I already have like the next 10 chapters drafted (still editing before I post), but if you want to review I'm open to suggestions!**

With a decent amount of convincing from Chloe and great reluctance, Aubrey had extended an invitation to Beca to join the Bellas. Beca, of course, had accepted for Chloe and dutifully let herself be kidnapped on initiation night. (Aubrey refused to let Chloe do any of the kidnapping, being the control freak she was.) The initiation was brief, and there were too many new girls for Chloe to show Beca any special attention. Their eyes, however, kept finding each other across the room, and Beca would have sworn that Chloe had intentionally let her hand linger under Beca's on the cup used during the Bellas initiation ritual. All of the girls then headed back to their rooms to change and get ready for the big a cappella party in the amphitheater, and it had been Beca's intention to get there as soon as possible so she could talk to Chloe again. The fire drill that was happening in her dorm, however, made Beca about an hour late.

Chloe had gone straight to the party from initiation, where she unexpectedly found Tom. He had shown up since he knew Chloe would be there. She wasn't disappointed to see him…ok so that was a lie. She was disappointed. She didn't want anything to ruin her chance with Beca, if she even had a chance… But she pretended to pay attention to whatever he was talking about – she really had no idea – because she felt bad. He was clearly trying, and wanted to be more than just friends with benefits. But the little alt girl was the only one who held Chloe's attention now, and she was constantly scanning the crowd for her instead of paying attention to Tom. She had positioned herself in the middle, with a perfect view of the entrance and pretty much the whole theater so she would know when Beca arrived. Where was she?

Eventually, Aubrey came over and saved her from Tom's incessant, self-obsessed nattering. Which was good, because she was starting to lose her patience. Tom was hot but Chloe liked him better when the only things coming out of his mouth were moans, curses, and her name. Aubrey could read Chloe well, so she knew Chloe needed a break from the way she had been drumming her fingers on her arm and constantly looking around. It was obvious to anyone that she wasn't interested, well anyone but Tom.

"We did it!" Chloe said excitedly, bumping Aubrey's shoulder with her own as the pair walked away. She was a little tipsy already. Hooking one arm through Aubrey's, she grinned at her best friend.

"Did we?" Aubrey asked skeptically, serious as ever. "Are these girls really Bella material? I'm not so sure."

"Well what about Beca?" Chloe said. "She's just what you wanted. Super hot, bikini-ready body, can harmonize and have perfect pitch."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow at Chloe, starting to get suspicious of where exactly her enthusiasm about Beca was coming from. Chloe knew perfectly well that Aubrey didn't think Beca was Bella material. But then again, Chloe was enthusiastic about everyone at this point. Everything. Chloe was just a bubbly ray of sunshine.

"Well," she said, "we'll see if her attitude improves." She tilted her head.

"Also, if she lasts at all," she said, pointing further up the amphitheater.

"She's up there, fraternizing with a Treble."

Chloe followed Aubrey's gaze and her face broke out in a huge smile.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," she said quickly. She let go of Aubrey and hurried up the steps, a little overeager to see Beca. Damn alcohol, she knew she should try and control herself a bit but at the same time she didn't want to. She had been craving excitement and passion, things she had found little of in her past relationships, and she had a feeling she was going to find them with Beca.

As soon as Beca saw her coming, she took a few steps away from Jesse. She didn't want Chloe thinking there was anything going on between her the new Treble. Actually, she didn't want Chloe thinking she was into boys at all. But Chloe barely seemed to register Jesse's presence, running right up the steps and practically falling into Beca's arms. Chloe wasted no time, in her slightly inebriated state, and took both of Beca's hands in hers. At some point Jesse had muttered something about getting Beca a drink and left.

"Hi! I think we're going to be really fast friends," Chloe said, leaning in towards Beca and pulling her closer at the same time. Beca had the overwhelming urge to kiss Chloe in that instant, but took notice of Chloe's use of the word "friends." Instead, she tried to go for some light flirting.

"Well, you saw me naked," Beca ventured, with a wink and a shy smile. Beca's smile gave Chloe butterflies. Chloe suddenly wanted to make her smile all the time.

"Sorry, I…actually to be honest I'm really not sorry." Chloe blurted out. She couldn't bring herself to apologize for that, it had forged the connection between them. Chloe had zero regrets about it.

"Oh really?" Beca teased, "so do you barge into random girls' showers often?"

"All the time!" Chloe bragged, "but seriously…you're the first." Chloe then admitted sheepishly, her boldness deserting her.

"Hmm…I wonder if I could come up with a few other 'firsts' for you to try." Beca ventured, thinking that there was no way Chloe would remember this in the morning. She seemed drunk, whereas Beca was totally sober. She bit her lip as Chloe seemed to mull her words over.

"What did you have in mind?" Chloe asked, eyes flicking down to Beca's lips. She really wished Beca wouldn't bite her lip like that; she was making it really hard for Chloe not to kiss her right now. She then realized she was still holding Beca's hands, looking down thoughtfully and gently running her thumb along the back of Beca's left hand. The intimate gesture sent shivers down Beca's spine, and gave her the last little bit of courage she needed. With a sharp tug on Chloe's hands, Beca pulled Chloe into her, slipping one hand around her waist, and kissed her gently. Chloe was shocked – sure, she had hoped this would happen, wanted it, even encouraged it but now that it was actually happening…it took a moment for her shock to fade, for her to realize that Beca was _kissing_ her. And that Beca was waiting for Chloe to kiss her back. But Chloe's brain took a second too long to register, and before she could respond in kind, Beca had already released her and pulled back.

"I, um, sorry…I thought that…" Beca stammered, suddenly finding her feet very interesting.

"No, no, that was…um. Just, you know, another first for me. You caught me a little off guard." Chloe said breathlessly, wanting desperately to make Beca realize that she had wanted that kiss, too. She reached out to take hold of Beca's hands again and squeezed them reassuringly, making Beca smile as she looked up at Chloe shyly. Chloe's face lit up like a Christmas tree knowing that she hadn't just completely screwed things up. As Chloe's smile grew, so did Beca's. Chloe pulled Beca closer and was about to close the space between them…until Jesse came back and awkwardly thrust his hand out with a cup for Beca. _UGH! Why do stupid boys have to interrupt me every freaking time I try and kiss this girl?!_ Chloe barely stopped herself from letting out an exasperated groan and stepped away from Beca. She was sure she hadn't caught the annoyed expression before it had swept across her face, especially considering Beca's bemused one. What was that supposed to mean?

"Um, okay, so I should go." Chloe said, looking from Jesse to Beca, and back. "I'll talk to you later Beca." And she turned and hurried down the steps, out of ear shot before Beca could even register what had happened. Shit. Chloe thought she was with Jesse. Or something. Ugh, stupid boys had the worst timing. Beca hadn't meant to find Jesse's interruption funny, but Chloe's frustrated face was just so damn cute that she couldn't help it. Beca now had half a mind to go after her, but wasn't sure Chloe wanted her to, since she now had shower boy wrapped around her. Beca stared, hoping Chloe would glance back up at her, but she didn't. At that point, Beca wasn't in much of a mood to party. She had let her mind wander through a million possibilities and was now too confused by what had just happened with Chloe. She had also successfully convinced herself that Chloe was drunk and wouldn't remember any of this. She had initially said they would be "friends," so that's probably what she wanted. Beca had overstepped her boundaries, and Chloe had just gone with it. Plenty of straight girls did that. Whatever. Beca could handle friends. She quickly downed her drink, made up some lame excuse to get away from Jesse, and made her way back to her room, falling asleep almost instantly.

Chloe was freaking out. First Beca had been all over her and then Treble boy had shown up…clearly Beca and Jesse had been talking before Chloe had come over, so she just took it as her cue to leave. Not that Beca had said anything to make her leave. Chloe actually hadn't given Beca a chance to say anything at all. Maybe Chloe was just drunker than she thought, and had leaned in first…Crap. Now she wasn't sure. All she knew is that she and Beca had kissed, it had been AMAZING, and then she had bolted. _Good job, Chloe._ To top things off, as soon as she had left Beca, Tom had found her and wrapped his arms around her. Great. Now he was kissing her neck, pulling her closer to him, but all she could think about was Beca and what her lips would feel like on Chloe's neck. Probably better than Tom's. Definitely better than Tom's. By the time Chloe worked up the courage to look back up to where Beca was, however, she was gone. And so was the Treble boy. At this point, Chloe was in no mood to spend more time with Tom, so without giving him much of an excuse she pushed him off her and made her way out of the amphitheater. She sent Aubrey a quick text blaming her sudden departure on too much alcohol and telling her she would see her at home, and then typed another text to Beca. She knew if she didn't say something now, she would overthink things even more tomorrow, and then her chance with Beca would be lost.

Chloe: So were there any other new things you wanted to introduce me to? ;)

Beca didn't reply. Of course she wasn't going to reply, how could Chloe have been so stupid? And why was she even obsessing over a freshman in the first place? Oh right, because that particular freshman made Chloe's stomach do backflips. Like a lot of backflips. In rapid succession.

Chloe changed into her comfiest pajamas as soon as she got home and crawled into bed after plugging her phone in to charge far across the room so she wouldn't be able to keep checking for a reply. What she didn't know was that Beca had woken up to her text and was lying in bed, chewing her lower lip and carefully crafting her response.

Beca had accidentally left her phone on its loudest setting, so Chloe's text went off like a fire alarm in Beca's ear. Her heart had jumped into her throat as soon as she saw Chloe's name on her screen, but she wasn't sure what the message would say. Would it say that the kiss was a mistake? That Beca was disinvited from the Bellas? She already knew Aubrey didn't like her, and if she had made Chloe uncomfortable too then she was definitely out. But Chloe's text was so far from kicking Beca out, and now Beca couldn't stop grinning stupidly at her phone. This was clearly an open invitation to ask Chloe out, right? It had to be. But she couldn't just send back a text asking her out. It had to be clever. The last thing she wanted was Chloe deciding she was boring. It took her a solid half hour of typing and deleting and retyping to finally come up with something that satisfied her.

Beca: I have a couple things in mind, but I'm much more inspired when you're around. Dinner tomorrow?

Ok, not her best work, but hey it wasn't terrible. Beca eagerly awaited Chloe's reply, but it didn't come and within half an hour Beca had fallen asleep again, phone in hand.

Chloe woke up in the morning still dazed by last night's events. Beca had kissed her! It was way too brief, and Chloe had been caught too off guard to kiss Beca back the way she really wanted to, and sure she might have screwed everything up but it had happened. But then Beca had disappeared. Jesse disappeared around the same time, or so Chloe thought – she hadn't exactly looked for him. Chloe's tried not to think about it too much as she crossed her room to her phone, but she could barely contain her excitement as she saw a new text from Beca. She opened the message without giving herself a chance to overthink it, and almost started jumping up and down. Beca wanted to have dinner with her! And she was definitely flirting. Chloe was sure of it this time, and she wasn't going to let the beautiful brunette slip through her fingers again. She texted Beca back and they made plans for that night, both girls unaware that the other was eagerly counting the hours until they saw each other again…


	4. Chapter 4 - Date Night

Beca took a deep breath before hitting the call button. She still wasn't sure she wanted to do this, but she needed help.

"Hello?" The voice at the other end sounded surprised. Hell, Beca was a bit surprised herself.

"Hey, ummm, I kinda need your help with something…" She grimaced as she finished her sentence, knowing a squeal was coming. And it did.

"OMG Beca Mitchell needs my help! With what?"

"So I have a date tonight and," Beca started to say before she was cut off.

"OH MY GOD YOU HAVE A DATE!" Another squeal. Louder this time. "Who is he? Do I know him? O-M-ACA-G is it a Treble?!"

"Ok first off please don't turn everything into an "aca" ism, it's bad enough when Aubrey does it. Although I am pretty proud of myself for the Aca-Nazi title." Beca chuckled to herself.

"Just come over and I'll explain everything to you. My room in ten minutes." Without waiting for a reply, Beca hung up the phone and rifled through her closet trying to find something acceptable to wear. About five minutes later, she heard a knock at her door. She swung it open to let Stacie Conrad in, pleased to see she had brought coffee with her.

"Hey Stace, thanks for coming over so fast. And for the coffee." Beca hummed appreciatively as she took a sip. Black, just the way she liked it (and whenever anyone asked why, it was because it matched her soul. The perfect snarky answer to a really dumb question.).

"No problem, Becs, now tell me about this date you have!" Stacie was practically bouncing up and down on Beca's bed. The two had known each other for several years, having gone to the same high school together. They had some friends in common and had hung out in groups together, but they had never been especially close. When they both arrived at Barden, they had started talking more and found they had a lot in common. Stacie was deceptively smart and incredibly kind, and Beca secretly had a huge heart hidden behind all that snark. The two enjoyed knowing what lay behind each other's façade, and while they weren't exactly best friends, they had a connection.

Beca blew out a breath. She hadn't been out to most of her friends in high school, she had her reasons for that, so coming out to Stacie now was kind of a big deal for her. Stacie was a link to her past, and while Beca was fully comfortable with her sexuality, her hometown wasn't the most accepting of places.

"So please don't freak out…my date is with a girl. I'm gay, Stace." Beca played with her rings as she spoke, looking at Stacie for a second before focusing on her hands.

"Yeah, I know, so who is it?!" Stacie prodded again, clearly annoyed at the useless information. She wanted to get to the juicy stuff!

"Wait…you what?" Beca asked in disbelief. She was sure that only two people from school knew, plus her parents. None of those people would have ever breathed a word.

"Bec, do you have any idea how often your eyes were glued to my rack in high school?" Stacie smirked, crossing her arms underneath her boobs for emphasis. Beca's eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

"I…uhh…well…" Beca sputtered, unsure of what to say. She did kind of have a massive crush on Stacie for a while in high school, but that had faded in favor of a friendship. Stacie's body had matured quickly and had only gotten better since they'd come to Barden.

"I figured between that, and the fact that you never had a boyfriend in spite of multiple guys drooling over you – good job with that hot and mysterious thing by the way, you really nailed it – that there had to be some explanation. And that was the one I came up with. Glad to know I was right, I love being right." Stacie finished smugly, clearly pleased with herself.

"So…you're cool with this?" Beca asked apprehensively. She wasn't entirely surprised, Stacie was always more perceptive than most people.

"Duh! Unless this is your way of asking me out. You're hot, Mitchell, like bombshell hot. But blondes are more my type." Stacie casually looked up from inspecting her cuticles to see Beca's face warring between embarrassment and shock. She just chuckled and walked over to Beca's closet.

"You're not the only one with secrets, why do you think I always gave you such great views of my cleavage?" Stacie winked at her.

"So since it works oh so well for you, I think we stick with your usual style." Stacie said as she perused Beca's closet.

"But first, tell me who this date is with? You got me all side tracked." She turned and put her hands on her hips, looking at Beca expectantly.

"Um…Chloe Beale?" Beca squeaked out sheepishly, already preparing herself for Stacie's reaction.

"OUR CAPTAIN CHLOE BEALE?" Yet another squeal. Beca was starting to reconsider this, for the sake of her ear drums.

"That would be the one…"

"Holy shit Beca, good job. She's like, the second hottest Bella not including us." Stacie patted Beca's shoulder approvingly before throwing an outfit on Beca's bed.

"Second? You can't possibly mean you think General Posen is hotter than Chloe." Beca, yet again, found herself shocked.

"Hey, I told you, blondes are more my type. But hey, I'd bang Chloe. You'll have to let me know if the carpets match the drapes." Another wink.

"Ew Stace, can you please not?" Beca grimaced. Not that she didn't want to do that with Chloe, did she ever, but talking about her like this with Stacie felt dirty.

"Fine fine, just get dressed so we can do your hair and makeup. And yes, before you ask, I will keep my mouth shut. It did take you like four years to come out to me already." Stacie waved her hand dismissively with the last sentence as if it were no big deal, for which Beca was eternally grateful.

"I…thanks Stacie, for everything." The sincerity in Beca's tone and the small but genuine smile on her face made Stacie really happy she had come over. She had always liked the small brunette, as a friend, and she was glad they were getting closer.

"Of course, Becs." Stacie smiled back, "now get dressed! Can't have you be late because we know if she's waiting for you, you'll trip over your jaw when it hits the floor at the way she looks. Chloe seems like the kind of girl who would pull out all the stops." Beca groaned as she started changing. Stacie was probably right, and while Beca was more excited than a kid in a candy store to be going on a date with Chloe, she was also a bit nervous about embarrassing herself…

An hour later, Beca stood outside the restaurant, breathing in the cool night air. It was some Chinese place she had never been to, and she was trying her best to look nonchalant, as if she went there every day. She had arrived a little early, per Stacie's advice, and was feeling good but her nerves kicked in at the last second and now she was fidgety and anxious. She looked down at her worn black combat boots and wondered for the tenth time if she should have worn something else. After tearing apart her closet with Stacie for close to an hour, they had settled on a tight white camisole, a dark blue plaid shirt, dark jeans and her favorite combat boots, accompanied by her signature eyeliner, a few rings, and her favorite watch. On her first date with a girl. She hadn't really let on to Chloe that she was inexperienced, despite knowing she was a lesbian for about a year before coming to college. She had just never met the right girl, no one had ignited a fire inside her quite like the irresistible redhead. She was so lost in daydreaming about Chloe's beautiful blue eyes that she scarcely noticed that they were looking straight at her.

"Thinking about me?" Chloe teased, strutting over to where Beca was waiting.

"Uhh…actually…um…You look really nice." Chloe had outdone herself in an off the shoulder silk green blouse that showed off just enough skin and offset her hair expertly, tight jeans, and heels. She was dressed to kill, and Beca couldn't stop herself from staring. Just as Stacie predicted.

"Thanks," Chloe said with a smile that made Beca's heart stop. Beca's jaw had actually dropped when Chloe walked over, and Chloe closed it with two fingers as she kissed Beca's cheek (again, just as Stacie predicted). Chloe knew exactly how good she looked, and made no effort to hide it. And all that did was make Beca even more attracted to her.

"Should we go in and get a table? I'm starving!" Chloe lied. It was true that she hadn't eaten much all day, but her appetite had completely deserted her now. She was anxious to get to the kissing part, forget dinner. She had been thinking about kissing Beca Mitchell since she had gotten the text asking her out. Beca shook her head to snap herself out of her daze and quickly grabbed the door, holding it open for Chloe. _Well, now I know why guys do this. Chloe's ass looks phenomenal in those jeans._

The two went inside and, much to their delight, the conversation flowed with ease. They talked for what felt like minutes but wound up being hours. Beca told Chloe about her interest in music and how she wanted to move to LA but her dad insisted on her going to college first, leaving out his promise to help her move after a year if she joined a club. Chloe told Beca about her love of dancing and how she wanted to teach dance when she graduated, leaving out how much graduating and leaving the Bellas terrified her. Both girls internally cringed at the deadline that was being imposed upon them for entirely different reasons, but a first date was no time to air those concerns and they both knew that. Their conversation continued smoothly away from their respective pain points, carrying them well into the night. Eventually, however, the restaurant had to close up so they started walking back to campus together. They walked side by side, both of them itching to grab the other's hand but not being too sure about making the first move. Their hands brushed, and neither was sure quite who was responsible but suddenly their fingers were intertwined and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. They took their time walking back, neither of them wanting to say goodbye but both excited for the good night kiss that they hoped was coming.

They arrived at Chloe's apartment building, since it was closer to the restaurant than Beca's dorm. They slowed down, standing outside for a minute, neither of them wanting to break contact with the other.

"I had a really great time tonight," Beca said, internally cursing herself for using such a horribly cliché line.

"I did, too!" Chloe said with so much sincerity that Beca knew the cliché had gone unnoticed.

"I'm glad. I, uh, should probably get going now." Beca said with a small smile, not really wanting to leave Chloe just yet. She started to step backwards, her hand still in Chloe's, when Chloe gave a sharp tug, pulling Beca back towards her. Beca stumbled a bit at the sudden change in direction, but Chloe caught her, both arms wrapped around Beca's waist now. Beca's breath caught in her throat as she looked up to find Chloe's face only inches from her own.

"You forgot something…" Chloe whispered, eyes flitting down to Beca's lips and back up to the stormy blue orbs. Chloe leaned forward and captured Beca's lips with her own, Beca instantly kissing her back. Beca's arms snaked around Chloe's neck, one hand tangling itself in fiery red locks. Chloe moaned at the sensation, giving Beca room to slip her tongue inside the redhead's mouth. Chloe pulled Beca in tighter at this, kissing her harder before pulling away. She kept her forehead against Beca's, eyes closed as they both caught their breath. Chloe opened her eyes first and her breath hitched again at the beautiful sight before her. Beca's eyes were still closed, her face slightly flushed, lips parted and swollen from being kissed. Chloe couldn't help herself and leaned in for another kiss, this one much more chaste. She pulled away after just a minute and stepped back a little, not letting go of Beca.

"Come up for a drink?" Chloe asked, glancing back at her apartment building and hoping Aubrey wasn't there.

"Um, yeah" Beca said, obviously trying to compose herself. She wasn't sure what would happen upstairs, but she didn't want Chloe to think she was expecting anything. Because she wasn't, not really. But what if Chloe was expecting something? But that didn't mean she couldn't be hopeful. The feeling of Chloe's body and lips against hers last night had been unreal, and all Beca wanted was to feel that again. Chloe watched Beca's expression go from dazed to excited to panicked and chuckled softly, causing Beca looked up at her like a deer in the headlights.

"Becs, stop overthinking it. You don't have to come up, and if you do, we don't have to do anything you're not ready for." Chloe swiftly kissed Beca one last time and started walking backwards, one hand holding on to Beca's, outstretched as she backed away.

"No I, I want to." Beca recovered quickly, gripping Chloe's hand and following her into the building. They headed up to Chloe's apartment together, and Chloe poured two glasses of wine. Thankfully, her roommate was indeed gone. Chloe brought the wine into the living room, where Beca was sitting on the couch, and handed her a glass. She settled herself on the couch, close enough that she and Beca were touching but not too close. Chloe was sitting facing her date, with her back to the armrest, as she took a sip of her wine and placed the glass on the table. Beca followed her lead, complimenting Chloe's taste in wine. In the same instant that Beca leaned back from setting her wine glass down Chloe leaned forward for her own, bringing their faces inches from each other yet again.

After a split second, Chloe kissed Beca hard, one hand behind Beca's neck pulling her into the kiss. Beca slipped a hand around Chloe's waist, sliding it down to the smooth curve of her hips. Only thin silk separated Beca's hand from Chloe's soft skin. Beca gently ran her tongue against Chloe's bottom lip, silently begging for entrance. Chloe happily obliged, parting her lips, letting their tongues dancing together in a flurry of passion and desire. Chloe moaned and pulled Beca closer, losing herself in Beca's lips and intertwining her hand in Beca's hair. Naturally, as Chloe pulled, Beca pushed, so that Beca ended up straddling Chloe, who was now lying down on the couch. Their bodies were pressed together, and remained like that for some time, with Beca deviating from Chloe's luscious lips to nibble at her ear lobe, kiss down her neck, or nip at her collarbone. Chloe seemed to respond incredibly well to anything Beca did, pushing her hips off the couch and into Beca's and pulling Beca harder down into her. Neither of them were quite sure how long they were like that, but a sudden jingle of keys made Beca jerk upright and scramble off Chloe, slightly embarrassed to be caught in such an intimate position.

Chloe propped herself up on her elbows and smiled seductively at Beca, who had managed to fall on the floor in her haste. That predatory smile, and the challenging glint in her eye, made Beca want to forget she ever heard the keys and rip Chloe's clothes off then and there. Chloe's roommate, however, was like a cold shower. Beca could hardly stammer out a hello when Aubrey walked in the door, quickly taking in the situation and realizing exactly what the two of them had been up to. Chloe greeted her cheerfully, as if this were a totally normal Thursday night. Aubrey greeted them both, glared at Beca, and gracefully excused herself to her room and shut the door, leaving Chloe and Beca alone again.

"You look like you just saw a ghost!" Chloe giggled as she sat up and took a long sip from her wine glass.

"I didn't know Aubrey was your roommate! I think she had enough reasons to hate me before finding out I'm dating her best friend…" Beca said, getting up and flopping down on the couch. Chloe set her wine glass down and crawled up Beca's body, kissing the exposed skin at her hips where her shirt had ridden up, the swell of her breasts where it was tastefully unbuttoned, her neck, stopping to hover right over her lips.

"Oh, so we're dating now, are we?" Chloe teased, knowing exactly how off guard she was about to catch Beca. Beca instantly tensed underneath her, eyes opening so wide Chloe thought they might pop out of her skull.

"I, oh, um, I…I…umm…" Beca stumbled blushing heavily, looking anywhere but at Chloe. _She's really cute when she blushes,_ Chloe thought to herself.

"Becs, relax! I'm just teasing you." Chloe smiled, pecking Beca's lips before moving off of her. Beca didn't move, instead just letting out a huge puff of air.

"You're going to be the death of me, Beale." She huffed, shaking her head slightly. Beca sat up and straightened her shirt, playfully glaring at Chloe who simply shrugged nonchalantly.

"I know. But at least it'll be fun." Chloe winked.

"Sure, sure. So," Beca paused, taking a sip of her wine, "how long do I get before you try and kill me again?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm…I wouldn't say very long. I don't like to draw these things out." And there was that predatory smile again. Chloe was looking at her like she wanted to eat her, and of Beca's newfound confidence whooshed out of her alongside the air in her lungs.

"I…um…that's good." _Real smooth, Mitchell. A+. You're really sweeping her off her feet here._

"I should get to bed, I have class in the morning." Chloe stood up and stretched, clearly intending for Beca to enjoy the view. Which she did.

Beca stood up and followed Chloe to the door, desperately searching for a way to level the playing field. Not that she minded Chloe having the upper hand, there were worse things than being left speechless and at the mercy of a redheaded goddess, but she also wanted to have said goddess at her mercy every once in a while. She was going to have to wait for that opportunity though, because before opening the door Chloe turned to her with the sweetest smile on her face, telling her how much she enjoyed spending time with her. Beca felt her insides turn to mush, stepping forward to cup Chloe's face in her hands and kiss her gently. It was a soft, slow kiss, but it was about more than lust. Beca pulled back a little, thumbs caressing Chloe's cheeks.

"So beautiful…" Beca whispered, eyes never leaving Chloe's. Chloe tried to look away, a little uncomfortable with the sincerity she found in Beca's gaze. It was like Beca was looking straight through her, into her soul. Chloe bit her lip for a second to keep herself from crying, and the second she released it Beca's lips were on hers again. After another gentle kiss, Beca released her.

"Good night, Chlo. Sweet dreams." Beca smiled softly as she left. As the door shut, Chloe leaned against it and slid down to sit on the floor. She had the best feeling of contentment, and although the brunette didn't know it, she had effectively left Chloe Beale speechless and completely at her mercy.


	5. Chapter 5 - Rehearsal

**A/N: OH-EM-ACA-GEE 76 followers? That's awesome. I'm so glad you guys like the story. ALSO, just found this out - I broke my ankle like a year and a half ago and they put metal in it and it's TITANIUM. I'm super excited. I am titanium.**

Beca and Chloe both floated through the next day, each reveling in the euphoria left over from last night's date. Neither could believe it had gone so well, and both were completely ecstatic. They knew they wouldn't have to wait long to see each other again, since the first Bellas rehearsal was that afternoon, but they also knew that rehearsal was no place to flaunt their budding romance.

Beca had daydreamed all day about Chloe's smile. She wanted the redhead, badly. She had never felt this way about anyone before, but something about Chloe turned her insides to mush and her fantasies to, well, incessant and dirty. Both of which she was very okay with. She had hoped Chloe spent her day the same way, but really had no idea. Chloe seemed like a girl who had dated a lot, judging by how easily she had Beca wrapped around her little finger last night. Again, something that Beca was very okay with. Even though Chloe knew exactly what she was doing, Beca knew Chloe wasn't toying with her. She wasn't sure how, or why, but she trusted Chloe. Which was something she didn't do often. She hadn't had her heart broken per say, but having your father walk out on you and your mom at a young age doesn't really inspire confidence in the world. There was something about Chloe though…She was so easy to get along with, it seemed like everyone loved her. Of course, Beca could see why. Chloe was beautiful, smart, interesting, and on top of that she was incredibly kind. She was one of the few genuine people that Beca knew, and that coupled with her bubbly personality and constantly positive outlook on life made her impossible not to love. Which kind of made Beca wonder why Chloe was interested in her at all when she could obviously have whoever she wanted. Beca knew she was attractive and had a few things going for herself too, but Chloe was just so…Chloe. But Beca pushed those thoughts to the back of her head, never being one to indulge too much in self-doubt unnecessarily. Chloe had made it clear she was still interested, and Beca wasn't going to question it. So she waited, rather impatiently, until it was time for rehearsal and practically sprinted to the rehearsal room to find Chloe and Aubrey already waiting.

As soon as Beca walked in to rehearsal, Chloe's eyes lit up and that quintessentially _Chloe_ megawatt smile spread across her face. Beca blushed and smiled back, a little shy about how happy Chloe was to see her, but dancing for joy on the inside. _Perfect_ , Chloe thought, happy with herself for making Beca blush. It was so easy and the tiny DJ looked so cute when she blushed.

Beca took a seat in the back as the others ambled in, barely managing to keep her eyes off Chloe as she went over rehearsal plans with Aubrey. She knew she should stop staring in case someone noticed and said something, but holy shit have you ever tried to stop staring at Chloe Beale? Beca wasn't sure it was even possible. And the way her leggings hugged her hips and her ass…Beca couldn't tear her eyes away. Then Chloe started _dancing_. She and Aubrey were discussing potentially making some changes to the choreography before rehearsal started – well, Chloe was demonstrating some new moves and Aubrey was standing there with her lips pursed. Beca was pretty sure Chloe had no intention of actually using those moves, considering the sly wink she threw Beca's way during a particularly seductive move. Beca might have forgotten how to breathe at that moment. Aubrey quickly dismissed Chloe's ideas, and Beca noticed Chloe didn't put up much of a fight. Yep, she was definitely just doing that to get Beca's attention. Beca smirked at the realization, eyes still locked on Chloe who grinned back at her like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Chloe and Aubrey continued getting everything ready as rehearsal time drew near.

Stacie had been standing nearby watching the whole scene unfold with Chloe and Beca, noting how deliberate Chloe was being with her dance moves. She sat down beside Beca, elbowing her when she didn't get her attention.

"You know Bec, if you keep dropping your jaw like that you're going to catch flies." Stacie teased.

"Shut up, did you SEE that?!" Beca discreetly jerked a thumb towards Chloe.

"Yeah, that was hot. And all for your benefit, there's no way Aubrey would ever let those moves into the set." Stacie said while eyeing Aubrey appreciatively. Aubrey caught Stacie's stare and quirked an eyebrow at her. Stacie just grinned back, not ashamed to have been caught in the least.

Once everyone was there, Aubrey pointed out an absence and explained that the girl in question had had "relations" with a Treblemaker. Beca hadn't really been listening, but upon hearing this she sat up, her eyes snapping back to Aubrey.

"That oath was serious?" Beca asked incredulously. She couldn't believe Aubrey would actually kick a girl out for hooking up with a Treble. That was seriously ludicrous. This blonde chick was nuts. And if Aubrey was that sensitive about the Trebles, how did she feel about Beca seeing her best friend? Beca didn't want to think about what would happen if things didn't work out with her and Chloe and it was her fault…Aubrey would have her head on a platter. Not to mention, you know, how much Beca would hate herself for hurting Chloe. She didn't let her mind wander too far in that direction though, because right now there really was no her and Chloe. The last thing she wanted to do was screw up a chance at that happening by psyching herself out. But really, she was a little scared of General Posen. Not so much as her captain, but as Chloe's best friend.

"Dixie Chicks serious!" Aubrey looked genuinely upset. Chloe was standing behind her, casually leaning against a table, watching Aubrey rant about the Trebles and interrogate the rest of their new recruits. There was nothing she could do to stop it; Aubrey generally did whatever she wanted, so she just waited until Aubrey was finished. She gave Beca a subtle half smile while she waited, almost as if to imply that she knew Aubrey was a little crazy here. Beca just endured the rest of Aubrey's rant in silence. After that, rehearsal was uneventful, other than the fact that Beca's heart raced any time Chloe even got near her. Oh and the heart attacks she had every time Chloe touched her. She had to restrain herself from grabbing the redhead, throwing her on the piano, and having her way with her at least twice during the three hour session. Somehow she didn't think that would work out too well, so she kept her hands to herself. Chloe, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying herself. She kept finding reasons to touch Beca, even going so far as to correct her choreography unnecessarily. At one point, Chloe grabbed Beca's ass, quickly putting a finger up to her full lips as a warning to Beca not to make a sound. She didn't, but if looks could kill, Chloe would be six feet under. Beca also made a mental note to get back at her for that later. She liked the thought of that, of having a "later" with Chloe, and she hoped there would be many more laters. Especially ones that would relieve her…frustrations.

"Beca, a word?" Beca was leaving rehearsal with the rest of the girls, but had planned to wait outside for Chloe. Maybe that later could be…now? At least that was her thinking before the Aca-Nazi had summoned her.

She sighed and walked back to Aubrey. "What's up?"

"You know, you'll have to take those ear monstrosities out for the Fall Mixer," Aubrey said in a rather condescending tone. The two of them had been more or less at odds all throughout practice. From Beca's initial questioning of Aubrey throwing out the girls who'd slept with Treblemakers, to her criticisms of the old-fashioned choreography and dreadfully dull arrangement of their songs, there had been constant tension. Beca didn't think it really had very much to do with her "amazingly scary ear spike."

"You really don't like me, do you?" Beca smirked, crossing her arms and taking a defensive stance in front of Aubrey.

"I don't like your attitude," Aubrey said, "And I know you have a toner for Jesse." Aubrey was curious what Beca's response to that would be, knowing how into her Chloe was. She didn't want to see her friend get hurt, and her level of trust in the little hobbit was next to none.

"A toner?" Beca was obviously puzzled.

"A musical boner!" Aubrey spat out, irked by Beca's nonresponse.

"Yeah…that's not a thing. And you're not the boss of me. So…" Beca deadpanned, even though this was news to her. She hadn't paid much attention to Jesse, especially not after she met Chloe. Regardless, though, she didn't want Aubrey meddling in her life and didn't feel the need to provide her that information. She knew she should technically be trying to get on Aubrey's good side, because of Chloe and all, but Aubrey was just making it so hard. Not to mention pissing Aubrey off was quickly becoming one of Beca's favorite pastimes. It was just so easy!

"You took an oath!" Aubrey spat, dissatisfied. She had caught Beca and Chloe making out on the couch just last night, and now this girl couldn't even deny having a crush on another guy? That didn't sit well with Aubrey.

"A stupid one. And it already cost you two girls today, so I think you need me more than I need you," Beca replied flippantly, walking backwards out of the room as she spoke. She had planned to wait for Chloe outside, but she didn't want to see Aubrey again. Chloe had witnessed the whole conversation, so no doubt she would understand.

"I can see your toner through those jeans!" Aubrey practically screamed, infuriated by Beca's nonchalance.

"That's my dick." Beca shot back, her trademark smirk fixed on her face. She texted Chloe as she walked out, making a joke about her "ear monstrosities," hoping Chloe would ask her to come over or something. She briefly wondered if Chloe thought she was into Jesse too, seeing as she hadn't exactly denied it to Aubrey. But after last night, Chloe would have to be crazy to think Beca was into anyone but her. Right?

Beca found Stacie waiting outside for her – or maybe Aubrey, Beca wasn't entirely sure.

"Waiting for me?" Beca raised an eyebrow.

"Eh sure why not," Stacie joked, "what are you up to tonight?"

"Oh, you know, robbing a bank. Maybe taking some heroin. What about you?" Beca couldn't contain her sarcasm, not that Stacie cared. She knew that's just how Beca was. The pair started walking to their dorm, they lived in the same building but different floors.

"I don't know, I hadn't given it much thought…I know there are some frat parties going on…but to be honest I should probably get some work done." Stacie sighed, not really wanting to spend her Friday night in her dorm.

"But Aubrey canceled rehearsal tomorrow! Didn't you hear her? Or were you too busy staring at her boobs?" Beca bumped Stacie's shoulder, or rather her arm since Stacie was much taller than Beca and she couldn't quite reach her shoulder. Still, the desired effect was achieved.

"I was not staring at her boobs!" Stacie scoffed.

"Yeah and I wasn't staring at Chloe's ass…" Beca smirked knowing full well exactly where Stacie's attention had been for the last few hours.

"Yeah, I took a break from staring at Aubrey to check out Chloe a couple times. So I didn't spend the whole rehearsal checking out her rack. Ha!" Stacie said triumphantly.

"Hey there, down girl. That one's mine." Beca teasingly warned. She knew Stacie would never go anywhere near Chloe if Beca was interested in her.

"Ooh, last night's date went that well huh?"

"You could say that…"

"Beca don't make me pin you down and tickle you. I remember how Beth used to get information out of you." Stacie said before mentally cursing herself. She knew Beca and Beth were pretty much inseparable before their senior year of high school, then suddenly something changed. Beca withdrew from the group a bit and avoided Beth as much as she could. Stacie always suspected something had happened between the two of them, but she and Beca had never been close so she never dared to ask. Seeing Beca cringe, she made a mental note to talk to Beca about that later. She and Beth had had their own falling out when Stacie had come out to her summer after senior year, but no one really knew about that. She knew she had to change the topic quickly.

"Damnit, I forgot one of my books back at the auditorium! You go ahead, I'll catch up with you later. Let me know if you want to do something tonight?" The duo was about halfway to their dorm.

"Yeah for sure, see you later!" Beca was grateful for Stacie's departure from the Beth subject. She really didn't want to talk about her, now or ever. She wasn't sure how much Stacie knew, since Stacie and Beth had been kind of close too. But since none of her other friends had said anything to her, she figured Beth had kept her mouth shut for which she was grateful. She had been afraid they would all react like Beth and didn't want to lose them all at once. Fortunately that didn't happen. Crisis averted, for the most part. Beca banished Beth from her thoughts, determined not to let thoughts of her ex-best friend ruin her day.

Stacie arrived back at the auditorium only to find it locked. She cursed and kicked the door a little too hard in her frustration, stubbing her toe in the process. She cursed again and sat down against the door, banging her head against it a couple times. She had forgotten her calculus textbook in the room and she had a quiz Monday. She didn't really know anyone in her calculus class, even though there were a couple guys who she was sure would be more than happy to let her study with them, if their drooling over her in class was anything to go by. She just didn't want to open that door, she wasn't interested in them. She mentally ran through her options – the library didn't have a copy of her textbook because it was multi-variable calculus and apparently that just wasn't a popular enough class for them to keep an updated version in stock. Her second option was the TA, but it was the weekend and she was pretty sure he didn't live on campus. She was in the process of searching for the email of a couple girls in her class, not that she had spoken to them but come on one of them had to be nice enough to let her use their book for a few hours, when Aubrey walked up.

"Stacie, what are you doing here?" Aubrey asked. Stacie noted that her usual authoritarian tone had a bit of a softer edge to it, maybe that's what happened when you got Aubrey alone.

"I forgot my calc textbook in there and I have a quiz Monday." Stacie sighed, getting to her feet. It was then that she noticed the keys in Aubrey's hand.

"Oh you have keys!" She said excitedly. Aubrey chuckled, and Stacie realized she hadn't heard Aubrey laugh before. She rather enjoyed the sound.

"Yes I do, how do you think we get in for rehearsal?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but not unkindly.

"Huh well you have a point there…" Stacie was just happy to be able to get her textbook, and to have Aubrey alone for a few minutes.

"What are you doing back here anyway?"

"I forgot a book as well, and I'm going home for the weekend so I need it to study." Aubrey explained, gesturing to the duffle bag slung over her shoulder before unlocking the door to let them both in.

"What subject?" Stacie asked.

"Multi-variable calculus. I was supposed to take it earlier but couldn't fit it into my schedule."

"Oh cool, I'm in that class too! We must be in different sections. Do you have Professor Fulmer?" Stacie really hoped Aubrey had the same professor so she could use that as an excuse for them to study together.

"Yeah, he's a decent professor. I must say, I'm impressed that you're in multi-variable calc as a freshman." Aubrey said genuinely as the two girls walked out of the auditorium. Stacie grinned at the compliment.

"What can I say, I like math. We should study together sometime!" Stacie didn't need a study partner, she actually studied better on her own, and she suspected Aubrey was the same way.

"Hmm…I usually study better alone, but we can give it a shot." Aubrey smiled, noticing for the first time what a beautiful shade of green Stacie's eyes were.

"I promise you won't regret it." Stacie winked, rendering Aubrey momentarily speechless.

"Oh…um, I'm sure I won't. I've gotta go catch my bus, see you at rehearsal next week! And good luck on the quiz!" Aubrey almost never stumbled over her words, but Stacie winking at her threw her off a bit. She was surprised at how attractive Stacie's confidence was, and the smoking hot body she had didn't hurt either.

"Thanks, you too! Enjoy home!" Stacie gave Aubrey one last dazzling smile before turning and walking away. She was extremely pleased with how the interaction had gone, but she needed to spend more time with Aubrey before she would know if Aubrey was actually interested in her. She was, however, more than willing to invest the time finding that out.


	6. Chapter 6 - Friday Afternoon

**A/N: Sorry the chapter titles are for shit. Loving the reviews, loving the steadily increasing number of followers even more. You guys are making this seriously addicting. And away we go!**

Beca sighed and continued walking back to her dorm, deciding she was going to mix all night, at least if she didn't hear from Chloe. She didn't really feel like hanging out with Stacie, just in case Beth came up again. That, and mixing was definitely her favorite way to pass a few hours. Definitely not as good as passing them with Chloe though. Naked. Beca let her mind drift through all the things she wanted to do with Chloe, _to Chloe_ , and let her feet go on autopilot. According to her feet, however, she wasn't going home. She snapped out of her daydream to find herself standing in front of Chloe's apartment building, about ten minutes away from where Beca lived.

She quickly looked around, praying Chloe wasn't around and didn't think she was being creepy. Not seeing the redhead anywhere, she turned around and began walking home, not trusting herself to go on autopilot this time. She was halfway to her dorm when she spotted Chloe and Aubrey walking towards her from a distance. She was filled with a mixture of dread and excitement, but to her pleasure the pair stopped a couple hundred feet away from her, facing each other and then looking back the way they came. With a visible sigh, Aubrey headed back towards the rehearsal space and Chloe towards her, a grin on her face.

"Hey there, Sid," Chloe called out when she got closer.

"Sid?" Beca asked, a quizzical expression on her face. It was another cute expression that Chloe thoroughly enjoyed.

"Yeah, after you left Aubrey went on some rant about how you looked like Sid Vicious. She said you were better suited for a punk rock band than a capella, and that I should be careful. You know, because of how he killed his girlfriend and all." Chloe teased, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Beca's ear as she talked. Distracted by her touch, Beca almost found it hard to listen.

"I'm surprised she even knows who The Sex Pistols are. I can't really see her listening to punk rock." Beca said, mystified by Aubrey's punk knowledge. She was already craving Chloe's touch again.

"I know, but she constantly surprises me with random tidbits of knowledge. It's one of my favorite things about her." Chloe replied, looking back in the direction Aubrey had gone.

"Hmm…I'd have to say my favorite thing about Aubrey is…" Beca tapped her lip thoughtfully, as if there were so many that she couldn't pick just one.

"Very funny!" Chloe laughed, lightly pushing Beca's shoulder. Her laugh was musical, just like the rest of her, and Beca thought she could listen to Chloe laugh for hours. Another item on the checklist of things to do with Chloe – it was a rapidly growing list, and one Beca loved adding to.

"Want to take a walk?" Beca ventured, hoping Chloe wouldn't think she was too clingy. It was a beautiful afternoon, just starting to cool down as the sun made its way down to the horizon. Chloe looked down at the armful of sheet music and books she was carrying, not to mention her backpack that was casually slung over one shoulder.

"Sure," Chloe said, "but first come with me to my place so I can drop my stuff off." Without missing a beat, Beca reached forward and plucked Chloe's books out of her arms with a grin.

"Thanks," Chloe sighed gratefully, "it's been a long day." She did look a little exhausted, but after the rigorous rehearsal that Aubrey had just put them through Beca wasn't surprised. She was a little tired, too. They headed to Chloe's apartment and as soon as they got there, Chloe was unable to resist the sight of her ultra comfortable couch. She dropped her bag by the door and promptly collapsed, her long legs draped over the side of the sofa. Beca laughed, put Chloe's books on the kitchen table, and sunk into the couch on the other side.

"So about that walk I suggested…" Beca trailed off.

"Yeah…" Chloe sighed.

"How about we just open the windows and pretend we're outside? Your couch is about to swallow me whole and I have half a mind to let it. It's so comfortable." Beca said, not wanting to move or have to share Chloe with the rest of the world.

"That sounds lovely," Chloe said, "except for my couch swallowing you whole. I have mixed feelings on that. It does mean you'd always be here, but you'd be inside my couch, which makes you inaccessible. I'd much rather have you here on top of my couch."

"Hmm…" Beca teased, leaning over Chloe, "I'd much rather be on top of you." She leaned down to kiss the redhead lightly. _Upside down kisses are fun_ , she thought to herself as she sat back up.

"I think I'll allow that." Chloe teased back, pulling herself farther onto the couch until her head was resting in Beca's lap. Her eyes were closed, allowing Beca to admire the curve of her face, her lips, her cute little nose. Chloe was the most beautiful girl Beca had ever seen. And she was lying with her head in Beca's lap. Beca almost couldn't believe it. She stretched her legs and propped her feet on the coffee table, shifting her position to make Chloe more comfortable. She leaned her head against the back of the couch, closing her eyes, and began absentmindedly playing with Chloe's hair with her right hand. The bare skin of her arm laid against the length of Chloe's collarbones as she tapped out the beat to her latest mix against Chloe's shoulder with her left. Chloe sighed contentedly, thinking about how natural this felt…she hadn't known Beca that long, and their first date was only last night, but she couldn't help but be at ease around the younger girl. The feeling was mutual, because they both drifted off to sleep, Beca's fingers still threaded in Chloe's red mane. Beca was tugged out of her blissful nap when she heard an unfamiliar sound…it was Chloe's phone ringing from her backpack by the door. She checked her watch, it was 6:30 PM, and they'd been asleep for about an hour by her estimate. She gently nudged Chloe, telling her that her phone was ringing, but the redhead's response was to snuggle closer to Beca, sleepily mumbling a protest. Beca smiled down at Chloe, stroking her hair and running her hand down Chloe's side lightly. That got Chloe's attention. She jumped a little in Beca's lap, but only ended up settling back down and pulling Beca closer. Beca danced her fingertips across the strip of soft skin that was showing where her shirt had ridden up, and Chloe peeked up at her with one eye open.

"If you're going to tease me like that, you better intend on following through…" She warned, hating the thought of moving. She hadn't intended on falling asleep with her head in Beca's lap, but it was just so comfortable…and waking up to the sound of her voice was even better.

"I think I can do that," Beca smiled at Chloe. Chloe smirked up at her, taking her time getting up to fetch her phone. She pulled it out of her backpack and lit up the screen – three texts from Aubrey, a missed call, and a voicemail. She checked the texts first, to find out that Aubrey had forgotten her apartment keys. She then listened to the voicemail, learning that Aubrey had foregone trying to retrieve her keys and had left for home for the weekend without them. All she wanted was for Chloe to be there when she got home on Sunday night to let her in. Chloe typed a quick text back to her, wishing her a good weekend and assuring her she would be home Sunday night.

"Everything okay?" Beca queried.

"Yep, Aubrey just forgot her keys." Chloe replied as she walked back around the couch, plopping down next to Beca.

"Oh...so I guess she's coming to get them? Or do you have to take them to her?" Beca sounded genuinely disappointed. It was then Chloe realized that, if she so chose, she could have the entire weekend alone with Beca…wouldn't that be nice. Sure, she had homework that she should attempt over the weekend, but it was her senior year, homework could wait. Chloe let Beca's words hang in the air for a few seconds, staring at Beca while her mind ran rampant with possibilities.

"Actually Aubrey went home for the weekend, that's why she cancelled rehearsal tomorrow." Chloe said nonchalantly, glancing at Beca to see her reaction.

"Oh!" Beca looked hopeful. "That's good then!" She tried to contain her excitement at the thought of Chloe's apartment being empty all weekend, but was having a hard time keeping her already racing mind in check. She was mostly just imagining different scenarios in which she got to spend the weekend with Chloe, preferably naked.

"Mhmm," Chloe purred, turning her body to face Beca. "So I was thinking we could get takeout and watch a movie tonight, what do you think?" Chloe asked, drawing random patterns on Beca's thigh with her index finger and looking up at her through her thick lashes. She wanted to jump Beca's bones then and there, but she also enjoyed playing with the tiny DJ a little. And she knew exactly how seductive she was being right now. She watched Beca's brain short circuit for a second before her awkward freshman mode took over.

"That sounds good to me! I didn't mean to hijack your evening though, I'm sure you must have had plans…I wouldn't want you to cancel them because of me. We can always hang out some other time or something…" Beca rambled, not meaning what she was saying in the least. She wanted to hijack Chloe's evening very much. Even if it meant watching movies. Beca hated movies, but people didn't react to that revelation particularly well, so she refrained from voicing it to Chloe. Besides, she could totally handle being cuddled up to Chloe for a few hours. In the dark. With no one else around. Yep, that didn't sound like a bad way to spend a Friday night.

"Somehow I think my friends will survive a night without me," Chloe said with a wink, running her hand down Beca's arm to play with her fingers. She would much rather spend her evening with the gorgeous brunette than getting drunk in one of her friend's dorm rooms with the same people she had known for four years. Those parties were starting to wear on her anyway, and she was craving more exciting entertainment. Beca hadn't exactly been what she'd had in mind when she set out looking for new experiences this year, but Chloe wasn't complaining. Not at all. Beca was new and exciting. Chloe had never met anyone that made her feel the way Beca did.

"Glad to hear it." Beca couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. She wasn't very good at playing hard to get…and Chloe knew that. And Beca knew that Chloe knew that. Beca didn't care though. Chloe didn't seem like the kind of girl who would jerk her around, and even if she was, Beca had no hope of resisting her after that first kiss. Not that there was much hope before that, but what happened at hood night had sealed the deal for Beca. Beca had let herself fantasize about what could have happened that night had Jesse not interrupted them, quite a bit actually, and she was glad to be getting the chance to find out where things with Chloe could go.

While thinking about her own friends, Chloe's thoughts drifted to Beca's friends. And then to Jesse. She didn't really care about the Treblemaker, and she had no reason to be jealous since she and Beca had only been on one date, but now that the thought had wormed its way into her mind…what if Beca was seeing him too? What if they had left together on Hood Night? Chloe knew it would continue to drive her crazy if she didn't ask. After the best first date she had ever been on, there was no way she was going to let that stupid Treble steal Beca away from her.

"Hey Bec…" Chloe started a bit nervously. The two had been sitting on the couch in comfortable silence for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Beca's eyes snapped to Chloe upon hearing her tone.

"Yeah, Chlo?" She returned quickly, Chloe's nervousness was making her nervous. She had never seen Chloe nervous before but clearly something was on her mind.

"So that conversation you had with Bree today…about Jesse…" Chloe was trying to figure out how to ask Beca about him without sounding needy or possessive.

"Ugh right, she can be such a spaz sometimes." Beca huffed, thinking Chloe was about to tell her to be nicer to Aubrey.

"Well…I mean yeah but she has her reasons. Anyway, I was just wondering if you're…seeing Jesse?" Chloe's voice raised a bit too high at the end of the sentence, instantly clicking things into place for Beca.

"Woah, jeez, no! Noooo. Hard pass." Beca laughed shaking her head, relieved that the conversation wasn't going to be about the dictator.

"Why would you think that?" Beca reached for Chloe's hand.

"You guys left together on Hood Night…and then you didn't exactly deny having a toner for him." Chloe looked away, a little embarrassed by her insecurity.

"What? We didn't leave together on Hood Night. I left right after you went back to…you know I really have no idea what his name is. Shower boy?"

"Oh, Tom."

"Right, so I don't know where Jesse went. I…wasn't in the mood to stick around while _shower boy_ sucked your face…" Beca wasn't even trying to hid her jealousy, she didn't think she needed to since Chloe was asking about Jesse for the same reason. Not that Chloe actually had anything to be jealous of, Beca wasn't with Jesse. Beca, on the other hand, had every reason to be jealous of Tom.

"I only left because Jesse showed up. You're cute when you're jealous," Chloe teased, leaning in to give Beca a quick kiss, "but _shower boy_ is all he was to me. He showed up at Hood Night, I didn't invite him. I hadn't actually seen him since that night."

"Well you can forget about Jesse, I'm barely even friends with the guy. You two, on the other hand, looked pretty cozy when I left." Beca huffed and crossed her arms, letting her jealousy get the better of her. She knew she was being silly, but she wasn't all that serious. The little game she and Chloe were playing at was kind of fun anyway.

"Aw Bec," Chloe cooed, pulling Beca into her lap, "I was barely paying attention to him. I was too busy thinking about what your. Lips. Would. Feel. Like. On. My. Neck." Chloe punctuated each word with a kiss to Beca's neck. Beca whimpered a little as Chloe nibbled on her collarbone, threading a hand through her red hair to pull her closer.

"Besides," Chloe pulled back slightly so she could look Beca in the eye, "I left a few minutes later."

"So you're not seeing anyone else?" Beca mumbled, looking down at her lap.

"Just a tiny DJ with stormy blue eyes that I get lost in every time she looks at me." Chloe tightened her arms around Beca's waist as Beca looked at her. She felt herself drowning in those eyes, exactly like she just described.

"I am not tiny!" Beca pouted, making Chloe giggle.

"Really? That's the part you paid attention to?" Chloe rolled her eyes smiling anyway.

"Shut up, Beale." Beca warned playfully.

"Make me." Chloe challenged, raising an eyebrow. With a surprising amount of grace, Beca shifted in Chloe's lap so she was straddling her hips and attached her lips to the ginger's neck. Chloe's hands settled on Beca's hips with a tight grip as the younger girl worked her neck. After Chloe's admission, Beca was doing her best to make sure Chloe knew exactly how much better Beca was at this than _shower boy_. (Even in her head, the name was said with disgust. Because ew.) If Chloe's nails raking down her back were anything to go by, Beca's skills were definitely up to par. When Chloe's hips started to roll into her own, Beca almost lost it and tore the girl's clothes off. To keep her cool, she pulled back to admire her handiwork. Chloe would definitely be sporting a few hickeys in a few minutes.

"Better than your dreams, Beale?" Beca smirked, feeling confident due to the way Chloe's chest was heaving and her eyes were dark with lust. And Beca hadn't kissed any lower than her collarbone. In lieu of a reply, Chloe fisted one hand in the front of Beca's shirt and yanked her forward into a searing kiss. Chloe's other hand moved to palm Beca's ass, squeezing hard and pulling her impossibly closer. Beca whimpered at the touch, grinding her hips down hard into Chloe's. Chloe moved the hand that was fisted in Beca's shirt to cup her breast, loving the way Beca was responding to her. The moan that she got as she squeezed Beca's breast only spurred her on further as she broke the kiss to trail open mouthed kisses down Beca's neck. She was just about to slip her hand up Beca's shirt when both their stomachs growled in synchronization. The looked at each other with a little bewilderment in their eyes before bursting into laughter.

"I guess that means we should order dinner, then." Beca chuckled after regaining her breath. She eased off Chloe's lap, not failing to notice the intense wetness between her legs.

"Damn this need for food," Chloe sighed as she pulled her laptop out of her backpack, "it always gets in the way of my fun." Beca just giggled (yes, Beca Mitchell giggled. No, she will never admit that to anyone.) and waited for Chloe's MacBook to boot up.


	7. Chapter 7 - Kissing You Is Pretty Great

**A/N: Alright pitches, over 100 followers is pretty awesome. This is a short update but I didn't want to add crap for no reason, so I'll update again tomorrow. Trust me, it's worth it. Tomorrow's chapter is what you've been waiting for ;) Thanks for all the reviews, feel free to PM me if you want a reply. You guys are great.**

The two of them perused their takeout options on Chloe's laptop, finally settling on a pizza. Chloe grabbed a bottle of wine from the kitchen, and they set about picking a movie for the evening. Chloe pulled her feet up under her, stretching her right arm over the back of the couch as a clear invitation for Beca to snuggle in, which she happily did. Usually, everyone had to maintain at least three feet away from the brunette at all times. Everyone but Chloe. Chloe wrapped her arm around the younger girl, pulling her closer and leaning slightly against her. Her hand fell perfectly at the curve of Beca's waist, and Chloe loved the way they fit together so well. They talked all through the movie, hardly noticing when it ended, and continued talking for hours. They talked about everything – their childhoods, friends, and pets – with the conversation flowing effortlessly. Well, mostly Chloe talked and Beca listened, but Beca told Chloe a bit about her childhood and a few of her friends from home. Beca didn't usually warm up to people this quickly, so she was surprised at some of the things she found herself telling Chloe. The walls she had built after the divorce had protected her well, but had become more of a cage as of late. She had been secretly hoping college would be a change. Chloe was exactly the change she was looking for, Chloe was different. Different from anyone she had ever met. She wanted to be close to Chloe, she wanted to let her in. Not that Chloe would have had it any other way, she had waltzed right past Beca's walls and made herself at home.

They eventually stumbled upon the topic of relationships, Chloe mentioning one of her ex-boyfriends who used to mix music just like Beca, and Beca admitting that she had never had a girlfriend. Chloe was a little surprised, considering how amazing this girl was. Not to mention seriously hot.

"I mean I've kissed girls before," Beca said, trying to be casual about it, "but nothing serious. To be honest I hadn't even been on a date with a girl before you. There were a few guys who liked me high school, but I just wasn't really interested in them. They were great friends, but there was never any chemistry…" Beca rambled before catching herself and waiting for Chloe to say something. The redhead simply sat there, looking thoughtful.

"Hmm…I can see that. I've never really gotten serious with a guy, hooking up with them was more of something to do than anything else. Dating them was mostly for entertainment, too. I just thought I hadn't met the right guy, but now I'm not so sure…" Chloe trailed off, chewing on her lower lip.

"Well it's not like you have to jump into a label or anything," Beca tried to reassure Chloe. She knew that coming out could really freak some people out, even if it was just coming out to themselves. The last thing she wanted Chloe to do was freak out and push her away.

"Yeah that's true," Chloe replied, still a little lost in thought, "I guess I just didn't really think it through before. I like being with you, so I don't really think it matters right now anyway." Chloe smiled, relaxing Beca instantly. Unbeknownst to Beca, the wheels kept turning in Chloe's head…until Chloe forced them to grind to a halt, for now at least. She could figure this out later.

"I'm glad to hear that," Beca said as she returned the smile.

"When did you know?" Chloe asked, curious as to how Beca had figured it out.

"That I was gay? I admitted it to myself senior year of high school. I had this massive crush on my best friend, Beth, and one day I just kinda…kissed her. We were close and I guess I thought our relationship was a little flirty, I mean it definitely was but maybe that's just how straight girls are? I don't know. She didn't really react well…she stopped talking to me that day. We haven't spoken since." Beca explained, not looking at Chloe.

"Hey," Chloe said softly, placing a hand on Beca's cheek and turning her face to look into her eyes. All Chloe saw there were sadness and a hurt that hadn't quite gone away. It broke her heart thinking someone had hurt Beca like this.

"She was an idiot. You're incredible. No matter how she felt about the kiss, she shouldn't have done that." She kissed her softly, hoping Beca knew she would never do anything like that.

"Besides, kissing you is pretty great." Chloe winked and Beca smiled back at her. She considered that a success and checked her watch for the first time in hours, shocked to see that it was already 2 am.

"Wow, do you know what time it is?"

"Not a clue," Beca said as she checked her own watch. "Oh damn, it's getting kind of late." Beca would never have guessed it was 2 in the morning, but now she was beginning to feel tired. Chloe yawned and shook her head, looking ever so cute and reminding Beca of a little lion with her fiery red mane bouncing around her face. Beca couldn't resist telling Chloe quite how adorable she looked at that moment.

"That was the cutest thing I've ever seen," Beca said with a grin.

"I've been told I'm even cuter when I'm sleeping," Chloe replied mischievously, "Want to stay and find out?"

"Absolutely," Beca blurted out too quickly, making Chloe chuckle a little.

"Are you sure though? I don't want to impose…" She offered.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to stay." Chloe said, leaning forward to give Beca a light kiss on the cheek. She grabbed Beca's hand and led the way to her bedroom.

"Also, just so you know, I wasn't _expecting_ anything when I asked you to stay." Chloe told Beca as she tossed her a t-shirt and boxer shorts.

"Oh, okay," Beca laughed nervously as Chloe turned her back to the younger girl and changed into her own set of pajamas. Beca noted that Chloe opted to just sleep in a t-shirt and a thong, something she was extremely grateful for, because she couldn't tear her eyes away from the ginger's amazing ass. Beca thought it should actually be illegal to have an ass that great, because holy shit how was she supposed to focus on anything else? Having Chloe's almost naked body only feet away from her was enough to drive Beca wild, but somehow she managed to only stare for a minute (ok maybe several) before following suit. Beca's pierced nipples showed through the thin shirt Chloe had given her, standing at attention and betraying her arousal. It wasn't Beca who noticed, however, it was Chloe.

"Ooh, pierced nipples. I bet that hurt a lot." Chloe said, looking up at Beca from the bed. Chloe had already climbed in on her side of the spacious queen. It was so much nicer than having to share a twin bed with another person, and Chloe relished the space it allowed for…activities.

Beca blushed. "Actually not as badly as you would think." She said, climbing into bed and laying on her side to face Chloe. She tucked one arm under her head and found Chloe's hand with the other, twining their fingers together. They talked for a while longer, subconsciously inching towards each other ever so slightly. Chloe was in the middle of bragging about how she was such an amazing pancake chef when Beca couldn't take it anymore. She leaned forward and kissed Chloe so passionately that Chloe thought she might orgasm then and there. Her whole body was tingling. Beca was an amazing kisser, she somehow just knew exactly what Chloe liked. And the chemistry between them was undeniable, they both felt it. It was like the whole world stopped when their lips met, like the only thing that mattered was each other. Chloe wrapped an arm around Beca's waist and pulled her close, hooking her leg over Beca's hip at the same time. Their bodies were separated only by the thin pajamas they had put on, and Chloe burned with the desire to feel more of Beca's skin against her own. Somewhere in the back of her mind, however, she knew she should slow things down a little. The inexplicable pull they felt towards each other, the hungry need in their kisses, it was all unbelievable; but Chloe was wary of rushing things. She wanted to keep Beca around for a while, and felt like sleeping together right away might limit that chance. She forced herself to pull away, just enough to look into Beca's deep blue eyes that had snapped open as soon as Chloe broke contact.

"Beca…" Chloe breathed, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say. She was rarely at a loss for words, but she also rarely ever felt this way about anyone. The brunette lit her skin on fire with a single touch, and after a make-out session like that it was safe to say Chloe was a little…incoherent.

"I'm sorry, I…" Beca said awkwardly, confused at Chloe's pause. It certainly didn't fit with the way Chloe's body was still wrapped around her own, and the way Chloe had been kissing her.

"No! No, Beca, stop." Chloe said before giving her a reassuring kiss. "I just don't want to rush things. I was hoping to keep you around for a little while…" Chloe trailed off, searching Beca's eyes for an indication that she intended to stay.

"That's good, because I was hoping to stick around." Beca visibly relaxed at Chloe's words, allowing her body to melt back into the redhead's embrace.

"Good." Chloe grinned. She brought her hand up to cup Beca's cheek and leaned forward to kiss her again, more gently than before. A few moments later, Beca pulled away to stifle a yawn, failing as a bigger yawn overtook her. She moved away slightly to stretch, the t-shirt rising up as she did and exposing the pale skin of her hips.

"Come here, you." Chloe laughed as she pulled Beca back towards her in a way that positioned Beca as the little spoon and tangled their legs together. Beca nestled back into Chloe's arms, one of which was serving as a pillow for both of them and the other was wrapped tightly around Beca. Safe and warm, Beca decided that this was her new favorite place to be before falling sound asleep.


	8. Chapter 8 - Pancake Chef

**A/N: I'm late, I know. Sorry!**

Chloe woke early in the morning, her body still curved as close around Beca's as possible. The arm they had been using as a pillow, however, was numb and Chloe mentally cursed the thought of having to move away from Beca's sleeping form. She gently eased her arm out from under Beca's head, moving to lie on her back as she stretched her whole body. Just as she relaxed again, Beca rolled over and reached out for her. Still sleeping, Beca wrapped an arm around Chloe's waist and nuzzled her face against Chloe's neck, a tiny sigh escaping her lips as she settled against Chloe. Chloe couldn't help smiling as she put an arm around Beca, finding it easy to fall back asleep next to the adorable brunette.

A few hours later, Beca woke up extremely well rested and in a playful mood. She nudged Chloe gently, to no avail.

"Hey, pancake chef!" Beca whispered, letting her lips graze against Chloe's ear. Chloe moaned softly in her sleep, but still didn't wake.

"Pancake chef!" Beca tried again, a little louder this time. "Pancake chef, pancake chef, pancake chef!" Beca let her lips tickle Chloe's ear as she repeated the epithet. Chloe groaned a protest at being woken and refused to open her eyes. Beca decided the best course of action was tickling, and attacked Chloe mercilessly. Chloe burst out laughing, begging Beca to stop in between gasping for breath. After a few minutes, she managed to pin Beca's hands above her head, and sat straddling her hips.

"Well, well. Whatever am I going to do with you…" Chloe teased with a devilish smile. She pushed Beca's hands further above her head so she could hold them both with one hand, and began tickling Beca with the other. Beca begged for mercy and twisted underneath Chloe, finally slipping her hands out of Chloe's grasp and tickling her right back. Before long they were both out of breath, and Beca called for a truce, holding her hands up as a peace offering. She was now sitting on top of Chloe, having gotten the upper hand in their tickling match. Chloe still wasn't sure how that had happened, as she was a few inches taller, but she had to admit the midget was strong. Chloe raised her hands in surrender as well, agreeing to the truce, before settling them on Beca's naked legs. The boxer shorts gave little cover, for which Chloe was extremely grateful.

"Pancakes?" Beca asked with an adorable grin.

"Okay, but you have to get off me first!" Chloe laughed, wriggling her hips under Beca for added effect. Beca leaned forward, placing a hand on either side of Chloe's head, her face only centimeters away from Chloe's own.

"Hmmm, I'm not sure I want to do that…" Beca trailed off, staring at Chloe's lips and forgetting her hunger. At least, her hunger for food. Chloe closed the distance between them, nibbling on Beca's lower lip as she slid her hands farther up Beca's legs. Beca leaned down into her, molding her lips to Chloe's. Chloe's hands continued moving up Beca's thighs, over the boxers, and slipped underneath Beca's shirt. Chloe ran them up her body, stopping only when she felt Beca's soft breasts brush against the heels of her palms. Beca gasped a little at the touch, but made no move to stop Chloe. She tentatively reached out with a thumb, running it over Beca's nipple, instantly wanting to know what it would be like to do that with her tongue instead. Beca moaned softly into Chloe's mouth at the touch, then pulled away to kiss along Chloe's jaw and down to her neck. Chloe's hand shifted to cup the fullness of Beca's breast, making Beca moan again and bite Chloe's neck, eliciting a similar moan from the redhead. Chloe removed both hands from under the shirt and pushed Beca up to tear off the offending garment. Beca bit her lip as Chloe stilled for a second, drinking her in. As much as Chloe was loving the view, watching Beca bite her lip was driving her crazy. She pulled Beca back down and rolled over on top of her in one swift motion. She kissed Beca hard, pressing herself against Beca's half naked body before sitting up, yanking off her own shirt, and then kissing down her neck and along her collarbone, over the swell of her breasts, stopping only when she got down to Beca's nipples. They quickly hardened as she sucked one into her mouth, teasing it with her tongue and teeth around the piercing. Beca moaned and raked her nails across Chloe's back, making Chloe bite down harder. She kissed and nibbled on one nipple while rolling the other between her fingers, switching between them several times before continuing down Beca's torso. She planted kisses along her ribs, stomach, and hips before toying with the waistband of Beca's boxers. Chloe wanted to keep going, she wanted to make Beca moan and scream with pleasure. But she didn't want to push Beca into anything, so she paused and looked up at Beca, the question clear in her eyes. Beca responded by pulling Chloe back up to her and rolling her over, knees bracketing Chloe's hips, effectively trapping Chloe underneath her. She kissed Chloe softly, making her wonder if Beca was about to pull away and stop things right then and there. Then Beca lowered herself a little bit, just so her nipples brushed lightly against Chloe. The touch was electric, making Chloe moan loudly and wrap one arm around Beca's neck and the other round her waist, yanking her down so their bodies were completely pressed together. Chloe just couldn't get enough of the feeling of Beca's skin on hers. She kissed her hungrily, exploring Beca's mouth with her tongue, relishing the feeling of Beca's hips grinding into her. Beca pulled away, pinning Chloe's hands above her head as she kissed her neck. She followed Chloe's lead, taking her time to work her way down to her hips. To Chloe's surprise, Beca skipped over her panties and kissed a trail up her legs from her ankles, letting her kisses linger more the higher up she got. She was driving Chloe absolutely crazy, and she was pretty sure Beca knew it too. Chloe groaned with frustration and Beca just looked up at her with a mischievous smile playing across her lips. Not breaking eye contact, Beca took the waistband of Chloe's lace thong in her teeth and pulled it down a little, Chloe instinctively lifting her hips up to make it easier. Beca wasn't sure where this newfound confidence was coming from, but the pure lust in Chloe's eyes was only serving to spur her on. She loved the effect she was having on the ginger. Beca reached up and pulled the thong off the rest of the way, then resumed her position between Chloe's legs. Beca lightly traced her fingers along the insides of her thighs, making her shudder with anticipation. She slipped her hands underneath Chloe's ass, giving it a light squeeze before wrapping her arms around Chloe's hips. She wasted no time diving in, giving Chloe's silky folds one long lick from bottom to top. Chloe ground her hips into Beca's face when Beca's tongue slid over her throbbing clit. Chloe was in heaven, and for that matter so was Beca. Beca paid no mind to Chloe's attempted direction, abandoning Chloe's clit to dip her tongue inside Chloe. She couldn't get over how deliciously sweet Chloe tasted. Again, Chloe wanted more and tried to push herself against Beca's face. This time, Beca cooperated and thrust her tongue as deep inside Chloe as she could. Chloe let out a loud moan as Beca's tongue probed her, which quickly turned to a gasp as Beca returned her attention to Chloe's clit, sucking hard on the little nub. Beca was thoroughly enjoying learning Chloe's body, learning how to play it like she played a piano. Chloe's gasps and moans were the sweetest music Beca had ever heard, and she wanted to take her time to play Chloe just right and create a beautiful symphony. Beca eased off her clit, teasing it with the tip of her tongue while she traced the outline of Chloe's folds with a finger. She slid her finger in to the first knuckle, still teasing Chloe, until…

"Fuck, Beca. Please." Chloe ground out, clearly frustrated in the best way. Beca almost came then and there. Hearing Chloe curse was a huge turn on, but hearing Chloe curse and beg and say her name? That left Beca Mitchell speechless with desire. Beca didn't respond, instead she simultaneously sucked on Chloe's clit and pushed two fingers deep inside her. Chloe bucked her hips in surprise and let out an unintelligible slew of curse words, Beca's name thrown in a few times as well. Beca ran her tongue over Chloe's clit as she sucked on it, and thrust another finger deep inside Chloe. Chloe began to buck her hips harder, her moans getting louder, and Beca tightened her one arm still wrapped around Chloe's hip to keep from losing control. Pretty soon Chloe was begging her not to stop as Beca fucked her relentlessly, until Chloe couldn't hold on anymore. She arched her back and lifted her hips off the bed and was overcome by an earth shattering orgasm. It was all Beca could do to hold on tightly to Chloe's hips, fucking her through her orgasm, trying to extend it as long as possible. She watched as Chloe was overcome with pleasure, and all she could think was how unbelievably magnificent the redhead looked. Her jaw slack, eyes rolled back into her head, chest heaving, and both hands fisted in the sheets. She only removed her fingers and released Chloe's clit when Chloe collapsed motionless on the bed. Beca lay there, her head on Chloe's thigh and one hand gently caressing the other thigh, breathless from her efforts. She decided that making Chloe cum was her new favorite pastime, because she had never seen anything more captivating. She looked up at Chloe, who was coming down from her high and gently licked her clean. Chloe moaned softly at the feeling of Beca's tongue, simultaneously welcome and slightly over-stimulating. Chloe tasted amazing, and Beca didn't want to stop, but when she teased Chloe's clit Chloe shuddered hard and pulled her up. She kissed Beca gently but passionately, just the way someone kisses after an unbelievable orgasm. Beca lay down next to her, letting her recover, content to just stare at the blissfully happy, sexy redhead. Chloe was seriously rocking the "just fucked" look, and it was all Beca could do not to pounce on her again. So Beca just nuzzled her face into Chloe's neck, wrapping one arm around her waist and throwing a leg over Chloe's hips. (Ok maybe Chloe wasn't the only one with kitten like behaviors. Beca fully blamed the development on Chloe though, she didn't USED to be this…cute. Ugh. Beca cringed internally at the very thought of being "cute.") Chloe, on the other hand, was still regaining her breath.

"That was easily the best sex of my life." Chloe managed after a few minutes.

"You're telling me," Beca grinned up at her, "you are so beautiful. I mean, you're beautiful all the time, but, you know, like that…just…wow."

"Well, I kind of have to be…" Chloe teased.

"Oh? And why's that?" Beca raised her eyebrows, stilling the hand that was lightly tracing patterns across Chloe's abdomen.

"Because, how else would I be so lucky to have you?" Chloe said, kissing Beca's forehead.

"What a charmer," Beca smiled and snuggled impossibly closer, loving how sweet Chloe was being at that moment.

"Why are you still wearing clothes?" Chloe questioned, her eyes wandering down to Beca's half naked body.

"Because you haven't gotten around to taking them off yet!" Beca retorted. Chloe hummed softly and trailed her hand along Beca's side down to her hip as if thinking before swiftly pushing Beca onto her back, Chloe half on top of her. Chloe propped her head up with one arm, the other hand lightly trailing over Beca's neck, breasts, and down to her hips. Chloe just watched Beca's expression, her eyes not leaving Beca's while she slipped her hand inside Beca's boxers, running her hand along the tops of Beca's thighs and ever so lightly over her clit.

"Hmm should I do that now?" Chloe murmured in Beca's ear, nibbling gently on her earlobe.

"I…um…" Beca was speechless, too distracted by Chloe's touch to be able to form coherent thoughts. Chloe moved down to Beca's neck, kissing her while lightly rubbing Beca's clit. Beca gasped as Chloe started massaging her clit harder, craving Chloe's mouth all over her and her fingers inside her. Chloe obliged without so much as a word from Beca, making her way down Beca's body and giving Beca the same lavish attention she had shown her.

The pair spent a few more hours in bed, talking, laughing, and exploring each other. It was a really good thing Aubrey wasn't home, because Beca wasn't exactly quiet, but Chloe was something else entirely. And Beca loved it. Eventually, hunger overtook them. Somehow, Beca had convinced Chloe to make her pancakes while naked save underwear and an apron, both begrudging concessions from Beca. She had to admit that Chloe did have a point about "burning the goodies." It wasn't a risk either of them was willing to take. Beca still didn't understand the underwear though, why should her view of Chloe's ass be obstructed? Although the baby blue lace thong that Chloe donned made Beca rethink her initial protest, it matched Chloe's eyes perfectly and did little to cover her perfectly rounded cheeks. Beca, of course, was forbidden from dressing as well. She wound up stealing the only pair of boy shorts Chloe owned, which conveniently had "Princess" stamped across the ass and were glittery pink. Beca was pretty sure she should have opted for a thong when Chloe pulled those bad boys out.

Once they made their way into the kitchen, Beca hopped up on the counter as Chloe began making the pancakes. She leaned back, hands splayed flat on the countertop behind her, crossed her legs seductively, and just watched as Chloe started prepping the pancakes.

"Are you going to help me or just sit there and make me fantasize about fucking you on the counter?" Chloe asked, looking over her shoulder at Beca. Even from this angle, Beca could see Chloe's eyes rake over her body, clearly filled with lust.

"Hmm…" Beca tapped her lip with a finger, pretending to think her answer over. Chloe cursing did things to her, so she was tempted to ask if that was an offer, but decided to tease the ginger instead.

"I think I'm good here," she said as she uncrossed her legs and crossed them again the opposite way, purposefully stretching them out to catch Chloe's attention.

"So lazy…" Chloe muttered, resuming her prep work. Beca stayed on the counter for a while longer, Chloe stealing glances at her and stopping every so often to come over to kiss her. It always started with Beca's lips, and then somehow Chloe's mouth found itself on Beca's pulse point, the hollow of her throat, or on her perfectly erect nipples. Chloe decided that having a naked Beca around made the cooking process last a good hour longer than strictly necessary, but it was well worth it. Chloe even burned a few pancakes, something she had never done before, when Beca hopped off the counter, came up behind her, and pressed herself against Chloe's back. Feeling Beca's sudden warmth against her skin made her shudder, and Beca's lips on the back of her neck made Chloe's knees weak. Beca's hands snaked their way around Chloe's torso, one hand cupping a breast and tweaking a nipple, and the other slipping into Chloe's underwear. Chloe had leaned back into Beca, losing herself in her lover's touch as Beca caressed and teased her, until Beca nibbled on her earlobe and sexily whispered, "Your pancakes are burning," in Chloe's ear before backing away quickly. That snapped Chloe back into reality, and she flipped her pancakes over to find them blacker than soot in a fireplace. She tossed the ruined pancakes and glared at Beca. The little minx had grinned back so innocently that Chloe had pushed her up against the counter, kissing her roughly, one hand moving to squeeze a breast. Beca responded better than expected to the rough advances, something Chloe filed away for later, and she considered foregoing her initial revenge plan and just taking the brunette then and there. Pancakes be damned. But then Chloe's mischievous side got the better of her. She had begun to slip a hand into Beca's underwear when she exacted her revenge. With her fingers just shy of reaching where Beca needed her most, she tilted her head and whispered in Beca's ear, "My pancakes are burning," and left the brunette gripping the counter for support, breathless and painfully turned on. Beca grumbled something about Chloe being a tease, but Chloe only flashed her a quick smile over her shoulder as she resumed cooking.

They spent the rest of the weekend together, not bothering to leave Chloe's apartment even once. Delivery and the en suite bathroom made that particularly easy, Beca noted. Her dorm bathroom was down the hall and you had to pick up any food deliveries in the lobby. But they just waltzed right up to Chloe's apartment door, something Beca was extremely grateful for because it meant less time Chloe had to be clothed. After the weekend ended, they hardly went a day or two without seeing each other. Chloe continued taking Beca's walls down from the inside, brick by brick. While Beca still kept quite about her parents and the divorce, which she knew had a huge impact on Beca, Chloe knew the tiny DJ was opening up to her in other ways. It was always exciting to her when someone would let her in, when she was able to break through someone's walls. She didn't consider it an accomplishment; she simply considered it an honor. Beca's trust was something she valued above all else, and she knew it had been hard for Beca to give. So she worked her hardest to keep that trust and make Beca happy. Every day she tried to find little ways to show Beca how much she cared about her, whether it was dropping by the radio station with Beca's favorite muffin or an "I miss you" text in the middle of the day, Beca was constantly on Chloe's mind. And Chloe loved it. Chloe was in love with Beca, even if she didn't know it yet.

Beca couldn't believe how lucky she was. She had to pinch herself every time Chloe nuzzled closer to her while sleeping, or dropped by the station just to give Beca a kiss between classes. That part was especially fun for Beca, because she knew how jealous Jesse, who worked at the station with her, could get. Apparently he had missed Beca kissing Chloe at hood night because he hadn't stopped hitting on Beca, relentlessly. Despite Beca's best bitch face and obvious lack of interest, the dude just could not take a hint. At least, not until Chloe had shown up one afternoon, excitedly greeting Beca with a "Hey, baby! I missed you, so I brought you coffee." Oh, and there may or may not have been a less than innocent kiss involved too. Jesse had been staring daggers at Chloe and leering at them at the same time – Beca didn't know it was possible to convey those two emotions at the same time, and admittedly was a little impressed. After that incident, Jesse pretty much stopped hitting on her completely, for which she was extremely grateful. They still chatted a bit, Jesse was a pretty cool kid, but Beca could tell he still had a thing for her so she tried not to encourage him too much. She was happy with the bouncy kitten of a redhead that had barreled into her life, happier than she had ever been. She knew she was falling for Chloe, hard, and all signs pointed to Chloe falling with her.

Beca had never been in love before, mostly because she didn't believe it existed. Her parents did a great job of showing her what a miserable relationship was like, and she never wanted that. So she had shied away from relationships, declared herself a cynic, and fortified her walls. But the more time she spent with Chloe, the less cynical she became. She began to let herself remember the good times with her parents, when she was young and they were a happy family. She remembered how loving they were towards each other, and the more she thought about it the more she realized that that was what she felt for Chloe. It wasn't a grand revelation, just little things that she would do for Chloe or Chloe would do for her would trigger memories and set free those little bats that fluttered around in her stomach whenever Chloe was near. (Beca was too badass to have butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. They were totally bats. Badass bats.)


	9. Chapter 9 - Be My Baby

**A/N: Can someone tell me how to do those lines between sections of a story? Also the song is Be My Baby by the Ronnettes.**

Three weeks later, Beca couldn't take it anymore. She needed to be able to call Chloe Beale hers, and only hers. It wasn't like Chloe had time to see anyone else anyway. (Seriously, the two of them spent ridiculous amounts of time together. But Beca couldn't help it. Why sleep alone when you can sleep with a drop dead gorgeous redhead and wake up to morning sex? Nope, she wasn't about to turn that down.)

Beca wasn't sure if it was moving too fast, but at that point she didn't really care. She just wanted to be able to say Chloe was her girlfriend. Most of the Bellas still didn't know, mostly because Beca and Chloe hadn't found the right time to tell them. Aubrey was running rehearsals really tight, leaving them no time to talk, and midterms made bonding nights lower on the priority list, aka they hadn't had one since hood night. The constant jokes about the sexual tension between Beca and Chloe, however, made Beca wonder if they didn't know after all. Regardless, she was ready to tell them and didn't think Chloe would care. So she cooked up a scheme and enlisted the help of her two favorite Bellas: Stacie, of course, and Fat Amy.

"Alright short stack, what has you bouncing around like a nervous wombat before a dingo fight?" Fat Amy could always be relied on to bring colorful similes into any conversation. Her eccentric sense of humor was probably what Beca loved most about her. The aforementioned nervous wombat just looked at Fat Amy and continued pacing the room, waiting for Stacie to arrive. Beca had invited them both to her room before rehearsal, which was perfect because Chloe was in class. Beca was really bad at surprises, somehow she always managed to spill the beans, so she needed to just not talk to Chloe about where she was or what she was doing right now.

"Just wait until Stacie gets here, I'll explain everything." Beca blurted out. She was nervous about the surprise, but she was also nervous about telling Amy that she and Chloe were a thing, and that she was a lesbian. She didn't think the Aussie would mind, in fact Amy had given her and Chloe their "ship name," Bhloe. Of course, Chloe burst out laughing and Beca just stood there confused until someone explained to her what a ship name was. But Beca was always nervous when she came out to someone.

Before she could wear a hole in her floor from pacing, there was a knock at the door. Beca practically lunged for it, tearing it open before Stacie had time to register what had happened. Which basically resulted in Stacie knocking on Beca's head.

"Ouch!" Beca backed up and rubbed her forehead where Stacie's knuckles had hit her.

"Oops!" Stacie smiled, clearly amused and not sorry in the least bit. Beca just scowled at her and shut the door.

"Alright shortie, spill it." Amy demanded. Beca looked from Fat Amy to Stacie and back again. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, there was still time to back out of this plan. But once she told them, there was no chance they would let her chicken out. But damn did she want Chloe to be her girlfriend. Worth it.

"Ok-I'm-queerer-than-a-three-dollar-bill-and-I'm-dating-Chloe-and-I-need-your-help-to-ask-her-to-be-my-girlfriend." She blurted out, not stopping to take a breath. Her eyes were still closed and now she was pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers. She tentatively cracked an eye open and Fat Amy burst out laughing, rolling around on her bed. Stacie was just grinning at her.

"Oh jeez shorty, that's what you were so nervous about?" Amy was still laughing.

"Well…yes. WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" Beca was a little exasperated, mostly because she still didn't know how Fat Amy felt about anything she just told her.

"Because I pretty much already knew all of that. DUH. I don't think I've ever seen you concentrate on anything harder than you concentrate on Chloe's ass during rehearsal. And the way you two spend most of your time together like a pair of conjoined kangaroos. Don't even get me started on the incessant eye sex." Amy had finally controlled her laughter and was looking at Beca in pure amusement.

"Oh…right…well ok…." Beca shuffled her feet a bit, not really sure what to do next. That was so much easier than she thought it would be. The relief she felt was immense – as it turns out, she was more nervous about telling Amy about her sexual orientation than about asking for their help.

"Okay let's get to the fun part! Do you have a plan?" Stacie jumped in, already walking over to Beca's open laptop to pull up her music library.

"Actually yeah…Do you guys know the Ronnettes? They have this song called Be My Baby and I think it would be kind of perfect. For a serenade. At rehearsal tomorrow?" Beca was planning on asking Aubrey if she could have just five minutes of rehearsal at the end. She knew how possessive Aubrey was about rehearsal time, but this was for Chloe. There was no way Aubrey could turn her down. At least that's what she hoped.

"Oh my gosh I love that song!" Stacie said excitedly, bringing it up on Beca's laptop and hitting play. As the music filled the room, Beca became more confident in her plan. The lyrics were absolutely perfect, and she was sure that the three of them could harmonize it flawlessly.

"Yeah that's great! And we can get you a pack of dingoes to pull a carriage off into the sunset! One of my boyfriends had a dingo farm." Amy added.

"Amy…what….no. No dingoes. I just need you guys to sing backup for me, please?"

"Sure thing Becs, we can do that. I think Chloe is really going to love this. But are you sure Aubrey will give you time during rehearsal?" Stacie queried without turning around from Beca's desk. She was currently sifting through the music and making Beca a sex playlist, which she would later explain was necessary because Beca was totally getting laid tomorrow night.

"I mean it's for Chloe so yeah I was hoping she would…I'm going to talk to her today." Beca rubbed the back of her neck, already wondering how she was going to talk Aubrey into this.

"Also there was one other song I was considering, because it kind of applies to me ridiculously well…Tear In My Heart by Twenty One Pilots?" Beca looked between her two friends. This song had been bouncing around in the back of her mind since her first date with Chloe, it was one of her favorites and Chloe really was the tear in her heart.

"Hmm…that's also a great choice, but Be My Baby is better for asking her to be your girlfriend." Stacie replied. Fat Amy just muttered something about some Australian contest that involved tearing out hearts of crocodiles or something like that. Beca stopped listening as soon as Amy mentioned blood.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll keep that one in my back pocket for later. Let's get started!" The trio had another hour before practice so they set about divvying up the vocals, with Beca obviously taking the lead. By the time they were done, they had pretty much nailed the song. Beca was really pleased with the end result. They had decided to forego any choreography because it would have taken a couple more days and Beca didn't want to wait that long. They all agreed to meet at Beca's dorm again tomorrow an hour before practice to go over the song again and make sure it was perfect.

Beca was freaking out as they walked to practice. What if Aubrey said no? She could always do it some other time, but she wanted to do it there. Chloe deserved a grand gesture for everyone to see. And for some reason Beca had her heart set on this. So when she walked into rehearsal and saw Aubrey, she had never been happier not to see Chloe there with her.

"Hey Aubrey, um, can I ask you something?" Beca's eyes flitted around the room, never focusing on Aubrey for too long, and she was wringing her hands. This got Aubrey's full attention, as the brunette usually adopted an aloof air when addressing her. Either that or snappish, seeing as most of their conversations consisted of Beca criticizing the set list and choreography and Aubrey shutting her down. Aubrey put down the notes she was looking at and turned to face Beca, leaning against the piano.

"Sure, Beca. What can I do for you?" Aubrey asked, not unkindly. She was curious what had the hobbit so uncharacteristically unsettled.

"Um, well, I was kind of, um, wondering if, um…" Beca stumbled through her words, shifting from foot to foot.

"Spit it out, Beca. Rehearsal is starting in a few minutes." Aubrey cut her off, still not too harshly but she was losing her patience. Beca squared her shoulders and stood up a little straighter, seemingly finding her courage.

"Right. Can I have like five minutes at the end of rehearsal tomorrow please? I want to sing something for Chloe."

"You want to take time out of rehearsal for your personal life?" Aubrey raised her eyebrows and the words came out in a mocking tone.

"Well…yeah. I didn't think you'd mind too much since it's for Chloe and I think it will make her happy, at least I really hope it will…" Beca trailed off, looking at Aubrey with pleading eyes. Aubrey saw how desperate Beca was, and knew she made Chloe happy. Chloe was one of Aubrey's weaknesses, the soft spot in her otherwise hardened and polished armor. She loved Chloe, and she couldn't turn down an opportunity for Beca to make her best friend happy.

"Only for Chloe." Aubrey sighed, still displeased at losing rehearsal time.

"Thank you so much Aubrey, I really appreciate it." Beca's gratitude was palpable, and the smile that replaced her usual smirk threatened to split her face in half.

"But you have to do something for me." Aubrey was always quick on her feet, and she knew Beca and Stacie had gone to high school together and seemed pretty close. She figured if she was going to help Beca with her love life, she might as well get something out of it, too.

"Umm…ok?" Beca was instantly wary of Aubrey's request. There were a lot of things the blonde could want from her that would be rather unpleasant. If she asked her to keep her mouth shut for a whole rehearsal, Beca thought she might die. Snarky comments were half the reason she was making it through rehearsals as it was. Well that, and the fact that the Bellas were growing on her a little bit. Ok a lot. She kind of loved those weirdos.

"You went to high school with Stacie, right?" Aubrey looked over at the leggy freshman as she spoke. Damn Stacie was gorgeous.

"Yeah…." Beca wasn't sure where this was going, although she had an inkling.

"Does she…" Aubrey bit her lower lip and looked over at Stacie again.

"Is she…" Aubrey tried again, not entirely sure she wanted to ask Beca this question.

"Spit it out, Aubrey. Rehearsal is starting in a few minutes." Beca smirked, her tone mimicking Aubrey's perfectly.

"Don't get cheeky with me, hobbit." Aubrey warned. Beca just continued to smirk, choosing to ignore the short joke.

"Yes, she's into women. But don't tell me you are, too? General Posen isn't as straight laced as we all thought?" Beca gasped exaggeratedly, one hand clutching her chest for added effect. Aubrey raised an eyebrow at Beca's antics, smiling a little at the news that she did, indeed, have a chance with Stacie. Something about the busty brunette had her constantly on Aubrey's mind.

"Calm down, Beca. I never said that." Aubrey wasn't sure what she was playing at here, but for some reason she just didn't want to give Beca the satisfaction of guessing correctly.

"No, but the way you've been eye fucking her since she walked in the door said it clear enough." Beca challenged, smirking again. Aubrey had the grace to blush a little at Beca's accusation, eyes snapping to Beca's.

"I…ugh just don't say anything, hobbit, or I won't give you your time tomorrow." Aubrey sighed, hoping Beca wouldn't go running to Stacie. She was definitely interested but she also didn't want to give the impression that she was desperate. Posens went after what they wanted, but they always controlled the situation.

"Ma'am yes ma'am." Beca mock saluted Aubrey, another smirk plastered on her face. Chloe had walked in to witness the last of that conversation, slinging an arm around Aubrey's shoulder and grinning at Beca.

"Whatcha talking about?" She asked, curious at the unusually casual exchange happening between her two favorite Bellas.

"Oh we're talking about Aubrey's giant crush on…" Beca quickly replied before being cut off by Aubrey's hand covering her mouth.

"And now we're not. Time to start rehearsal. Go sit down, Beca." Aubrey narrowed her eyes, giving Beca an impressively scary glare before turning to face Chloe.

"I'll explain later, Chlo. Let's just get rehearsal going." Aubrey gave Chloe a look that clearly expressed her desire to not discuss this in a room full of Bellas. Chloe was simply confused – Bree hadn't mentioned having a crush on anyone and Beca knowing before her was more than a bit odd. She filed it away for later, knowing there was no way her friend would talk about it before she was ready.

Rehearsal continued uneventfully, and before Beca knew it 24 hours had passed and she found herself sitting in her chair the next day, listening to Aubrey review their schedule for the next few months. They had a performance coming up in a couple of weeks and they weren't exactly ready. She was lost in thought when Aubrey called her name, snapping her back into reality.

"Beca, I believe you had something you wanted to do?" As discussed, Aubrey said this and then pulled Chloe down into two empty chairs at the front of the group. Chloe looked at Beca, confusion written all over her face. If Beca hadn't been so damn nervous, she would have found it cute. She found pretty much everything about Chloe cute though, so that wasn't anything new.

Beca, Stacie, and Fat Amy made their way to the front of the room. Beca cleared her throat, looked Chloe in the eye, and started to sing.

 **The night we met I knew I needed you so**

 **And if I had the chance I'd never let you go**

 **So won't you say you love me,**

 **I'll make you so proud of me.**

 **We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go**

Chloe's jaw dropped. Beca had taken the cheesy 60s love song and altered it a bit to fit her style and rich alto voice. And if she were being completely honest, Beca's voice was a total panty dropper.

 **So won't you, please, be my be my baby**

 **Be my little. baby my one and only baby**

 **Say you'll be my darlin', be my be my baby**

 **Be my baby now, my one and only baby**

 **Wha-oh-oh-oh.**

The three girls had tossed in some classic 60s dance moves typical of groups like the Ronnettes, mostly shifting from side to side and snapping their fingers. All the Bellas were impressed with how well their voices fit together.

 **I'll make you happy, baby, just wait and see**

 **For every kiss you give me I'll give you three**

 **Oh, since the day I saw you**

 **I have been waiting for you**

 **You know I will adore you 'til eternity**

 **So won't you, please, be my be my baby**

 **Be my little. baby my one and only baby**

 **Say you'll be my darlin', be my be my baby**

 **Be my baby now, my one and only baby**

 **Wha-oh-oh-oh.**

 **So come on and, please, be my be my baby**

 **Be my little baby my one and only baby**

 **Say you'll be my darlin', be my be my baby**

 **Be my baby now, my one and only baby**

 **Wha-oh-oh-oh.**

At this point, Beca snatched a red rose that had been hidden behind the piano on the bench, walked forward and took Chloe's hand, pulling her out of her seat. A few of the Bellas gasped – apparently they hadn't quite realized that Beca and Chloe were actually together. Chloe couldn't contain the megawatt smile that covered her face as Beca finished her serenade.

 **Be my be my baby be my little baby**

 **My one and only baby oh oh**

 **Be my be my baby oh,**

 **My one and only baby wha-oh-oh-oh-oh**

 **Be my be my baby oh,**

 **My one and only baby**

 **Be my be my baby oh,**

 **Be my baby now**

"Chlo, will you be my girlfriend?" Beca asked quietly, although the room was so silent that all the Bellas heard anyway. She sheepishly held out the rose for Chloe to take. In lieu of a reply, Chloe yanked her forward with the hand that was still holding Beca's and captured her lips in a searing kiss. This was easily the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her, and the idea of Beca being her girlfriend made her giddy with happiness. Cheers erupted behind Chloe, causing the couple to break apart. Beca laughed nervously at all the attention, shuffling her feet.

"I guess that's a yes then?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes flitting up to meet Chloe's blue orbs.

"I'd be crazy to say no after that! That was incredible, Becs. Thank you." Chloe's words were the epitome of genuine, and her eyes were sparkling. She couldn't stop smiling at Beca, which made Beca grin right back. Chloe was her girlfriend! Success! She internally fist pumped (because doing it in real life was super lame) and gave Chloe's hand a squeeze.

"Bhloe is official! Pay up, everyone!" Fat Amy yelled, holding her hands out to the other Bellas. Beca whipped around to face her, losing her grip on Chloe's hand in the process.

"You BET on us?" She asked incredulously.

"Don't get your knickers in a bunch, I'll give you a cut." Fat Amy said as she collected the money from their fellow Bellas. Everyone except Stacie and Aubrey had participated. They hadn't thought it was fair, seeing as they already knew. Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's waist and rested her chin on her shoulder, pulling the shorter girl flush against her.

"Aww Becs, I think it's cute that they were betting on us. But out of curiosity, how exactly did that work?" Chloe was happy to see the Bellas bonding and taking an interest in their fellow sisters, even if it did center on her love life. They could talk about her all they wanted, she was pretty sure they were just jealous anyway. She was dating Beca Mitchell, who wouldn't be jealous?

"Just a pool on when you guys would tell us. All the eye sex was a pretty good tip off. Nice catch, Beca." CR eyed Chloe appreciatively and threw Beca a wink. Beca just groaned and hid her quickly reddening face in her hands. Chloe just squeezed her tighter and winked back at CR, ever the shameless flirt. Aubrey stood up and declared rehearsal over, telling everyone to get a good night's rest before they started two a day rehearsals tomorrow to prep for their upcoming performance at SBT, one of the frats on campus. Chloe and Beca only separated briefly to get their things together before returning to being as close to each other as possible. They left the auditorium together, Chloe's arm wrapped around Beca's shoulders and Beca's around Chloe's waist, both of them deliriously happy.

Aubrey watched the new couple walk out, impressed by Beca's gesture and happy for her friend. Beca seemed good for Chloe; she was just worried the miniature freshman would screw it up. The last thing she wanted was Chloe getting hurt, and she wasn't convinced she could trust Beca not to do that. She was slowly coming around, but she had her reservations. A silky voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Something on your mind there, Cap?" Green eyes twinkled with mirth from beside her, and again she found herself admiring Stacie's beauty.

"No, no, just happy for Chloe." Aubrey smiled and began gathering her things.

"Yeah, Beca was really nervous about this. Thanks for giving her the time, it meant a lot to her." Stacie knew Bree had a soft side; she just needed to work her way into that soft side. Get Aubrey to trust her and let her in.

"Well she's important to Chloe so I'm trying to set our a capella differences aside when it comes to the two of them as a couple." Aubrey admitted, turning around to face Stacie once again.

"Although I have to confess, I got something out of that too…" Aubrey said, taking a step towards Stacie. Stacie's eyes widened at the way Aubrey was looking at her, almost hungrily. She had to be imagining things, or it was just wishful thinking, because there was no way Aubrey was about to make a move on her. Still, her mouth went dry and she had to clear her throat before replying.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm," Aubrey purred, stepping forward once again and lightly pressing her lips against Stacie's. Stacie returned the kiss immediately, resting her hands on Aubrey's waist. After a few seconds, Aubrey broke the kiss, pulling back just a bit.

"Wow…" Stacie whispered, still shocked at what had just transpired.

"Would you like to go grab a cup of coffee?" Aubrey smiled softly, clearly pleased with herself and the brunette's reaction. Stacie nodded furiously, not bothering to mask her desire to spend more time with her captain. Aubrey just chuckled and grabbed Stacie's hand, leading her out of the building.


	10. Chapter 10 - Down in Mexico

**A/N: Fluffy smut because I love them. Never thought I'd ask for reviews, but I love hearing what you guys think! Oh and I'm already planning the sequel...but we've still got some time on this bad boy.**

 **Songs: Down in Mexico - The Coasters, and obviously Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars.**

 **"** Come on, I want to take _my_ _girlfriend_ out to dinner." Beca gave Chloe's side a squeeze as they walked out of rehearsal. She was ecstatic at how well everything had gone. The badass bats in her stomach had finally settled down too, for which she was grateful.

"Oh? I kind of wanted a night in with _my_ girlfriend, because she kind of made this impossibly sweet gesture in front of everyone today and I wanted to show her _just how much_ it meant to me." Chloe had her predatory smile on, the one that always took over when she was thinking about doing especially dirty things to Beca. It made Beca's knees weak, and she was really glad she was already holding onto Chloe at that point.

"I…yup," Popping the 'p,' Beca nodded with wide eyes, "yeah I think that sounds like something you should do. Definitely a good idea to…yeah show her. I mean me. Yup, me." Chloe loved how easily she could turn Beca into a rambling mess with one sentence. It was adorable, and made Chloe want to handcuff Beca to her bed and follow through on everything she had insinuated. _Badly._ Good thing Chloe had a pair of fuzzy handcuffs (purchased with said brunette in mind) and a wrought iron headboard on her bed.

"What do you think about trying something new, babe?" Chloe kept her tone casual, not wanting to pressure Beca into anything. Navy blue eyes snapped to her own baby blues and Beca's eyebrows raised in a silent question.

"How do you feel about handcuffs?" Chloe asked tentatively, still worried about freaking the brunette out. Their sex life was phenomenal, like seriously they could barely keep their hands off each other. But Chloe had always wanted to experiment more in the bedroom, she had just never found anyone she trusted that intimately. With Beca, she knew she had nothing to worry about.

"Uhh…I…." Chloe watched the gears turn in Beca's head and automatically backtracked.

"Don't worry about it, Becs, we don't have to try anything like that." Chloe smiled reassuringly, but inside she was a bit disappointed. Suddenly she found herself pushed roughly against a tree with Beca pressed tight against her. With their lips only millimeters from each other, she could feel Beca's breath ghosting over her lips.

"Beale. You should really let me finish my sentences. You can't put thoughts of you tied up naked on my bed into my brain and expect me to be able to form coherent sentences right away." Beca smirked, pleased at her recovery. Chloe bit her bottom lip to keep from grinning at Beca's words.

"Are you trying to get me arrested? Because if you keep biting your lip like that, I'm going to fuck you against this tree right now." Beca rolled her hips into Chloe's as she spoke, making the redhead let out a small moan and release her lower lip. Beca took the opportunity to kiss her hard, pushing her tongue into the ginger's mouth without asking for entrance. Not that Chloe put up a fight, because hot damn aggressive Beca was doing things to her. Beca's grip on her hips was so tight she was sure she was going to have bruises, but that only turned her on even more. Beca broke the kiss without opening her eyes, resting her forehead against Chloe's and flexing her fingers.

"Apartment. Now." Beca growled into her ear. Chloe pushed Beca off her and grabbed her hand, pulling her along with purpose. It didn't take long for the pair to arrive at Chloe's apartment, the rest of the trip filled with stolen kisses and wandering hands. Elevator rides were quickly becoming one of Beca's favorite things. Once they reached the apartment, Beca slammed Chloe against the door, lips immediately attacking her neck.

"Jesus, Bec…if I had known this is what the thought handcuffs would do to you…" Chloe trailed off, unable to continue coherent thought as Beca hit the sweet spot on her neck. Beca's hands were roaming Chloe's body but now drifted down to her ass. Chloe registered only a second of confusion before Beca's hands were gripping Chloe's thighs securely and picking her up to wrap her legs around Beca's waist. Chloe gasped in surprise, which Beca didn't fail to notice.

"I'm full of surprises, Beale." Beca smirked again and Chloe felt herself getting wetter by the second. She leaned forward to snare Beca's lower lip in her teeth, biting down a little harder than usual before soothing it with her tongue. Beca's tongue quickly found hers as Beca pushed her harder against the door. True to her word, Beca surprised Chloe again by turning them around and carrying Chloe into her own bedroom, kicking the door shut behind her. There was nothing gentle in the assault Beca's tongue was carrying out against her own, which was turning Chloe on to no end, but the way Beca so gently and carefully laid her down on the bed almost made Chloe cry. Beca pulled back, her deep blue eyes boring into Chloe's soul. In them, Chloe saw lust and desire, but also pure passion and something…something else Chloe couldn't put her finger on. She squirmed under the brunette's intense gaze, looking away.

"Hey, don't do that. You're beautiful. It's hard not to stare at you." Beca smiled softly, her whole demeanor changing from the horny teenage boy she previously personified.

"Beca Mitchell, you are going to be the death of me." Chloe sighed, her eyes welling up ever so slightly. Beca was everything she ever wanted in a relationship, and everything she never knew she needed until now. Beca smirked, pure desire returning to flood her eyes.

"Just you wait…" She taunted, reaching under the pillow to pull out baby blue fuzzy handcuffs.

"Wait where did you get those? The ones I bought were pink!" Chloe looked from Beca to the handcuffs and back. Beca sat up and straddled Chloe's hips, twirling the handcuffs around in her hand.

"Well…I kinda found them a few days ago…and then I kinda decided to exchange them for ones that aren't pink, because come on Chlo, and kinda found ones that match your eyes…and then I kinda put them here after you left me in your bed this morning…maybe in anticipation of this happening…" Beca playfully tilted her head from side to side as she explained, a shit eating grin spreading across her face at the end. Just when Chloe thought Beca couldn't get better, she goes and buys something specifically because it matches Chloe's eyes. Damn this girl was good. Chloe just shook her head with a chuckle, watching Beca toss the cuffs on the bed beside them.

"Just so you know…" Beca leaned down to brush her lips against the shell of Chloe's ear as she spoke, "they fail miserably. Nothing comes close to your eyes." Beca swiftly closed her teeth around Chloe's earlobe, pulling on it and teasing with her tongue, eliciting a gasp from the redhead. She was surprised she was able to make a noise at all, considering Beca had literally just taken her breath away. Beca's lips moved to her neck as her hands went to work on the buttons of Chloe's shirt, the shorter girl growling at the last few stubborn buttons. Beca pushed the shirt roughly off her shoulders, unclasping Chloe's bra and tossing it to the side as well. She snaked her hands up Chloe's torso, keeping them to the sides even as Chloe arched up into her, desperate for more contact. Beca pushed Chloe's arms up above her head before quickly cuffing her to the headboard. After clicking the cuffs into place, Beca sat back to admire her handiwork, biting back a moan at the site of Chloe half naked, tied to the bed in front of her. The sight was too much for her to handle, so she dropped her hands to either sides of Chloe's head and crashed their lips together in a rough, needy kiss. Beca's hips ground into Chloe's hard, her t-shirt clad torso flush against the redhead's naked one. Chloe couldn't contain her own moan at the kiss, straining against her handcuffs and making the chain rattle against iron bars. Upon hearing the sound, Beca pulled back so she was just out of Chloe's reach.

"Ooh, that's a fun sound," She taunted, noting how Chloe's eyes had darkened with lust, now possibly the darkest she had every seen them.

"Beca," Chloe growled. That was also new – Chloe was always passionate in bed, her voice always dripping with desire or passion or love, but never did it even come close to a growl. Beca _loved_ it.

"Yeah, baby?" Beca sat farther up and trailed a finger down Chloe's neck, through the valley between her breasts, and over her navel to tease the skin right above her jeans. Chloe's eyes fluttered as Beca's hand neared where she needed her most. Once Beca retracted her hand, however, those eyes snapped open and locked on to the stormy blue orbs she loved so much.

"Stop. Teasing." Chloe ground out as Beca lightly grazed a nipple with her fingertips, Chloe attempting to arch up into Beca's touch again.

"Aww but Chlo…" Beca stopped to lick a line straight from Chloe's navel to the hollow at her throat, moving to nibble on Chloe's ear next.

"I thought you wanted to show me _just how much_ today meant to you." Beca husked into her ear, throwing her own words from earlier back at her. Beca punctuated her words with a teasing lick to the outer shell of Chloe's ear.

"I…do…." Chloe was painfully turned on at this point, and she was still half clothed. And Beca was fully clothed. She hadn't even given Chloe time to divest her of her clothing before chaining the ginger up – Chloe made a mental note not to let that happen again next time. Beca popped up again, still straddling Chloe, her hands on her own thighs. That same shit eating grin spread across her face and Chloe knew she was in for a long night. Not that she minded. Nope, not one bit.

"Good!" Beca's tone was cheerful, completely different from the sinful voice she had just used to whisper into Chloe's ear. Beca easily swung one leg off Chloe and rose from the bed, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

"I think," she paused to unlock her phone and started doing something Chloe couldn't see, "that we need some music." Chloe groaned at Beca's constant shift in mood. In reality, Chloe loved it. She loved having someone that could keep up with her. But right now, she just needed Beca to fuck her. Hard.

"Beca I swear if you don't - " Chloe snapped her mouth shut as Beca started dancing to the song she had put on. It wasn't one Chloe recognized, but it was an incredibly sexy song, amplified tenfold by the brunette that was currently performing a strip tease for her. The way Beca was swaying her hips made Chloe regret letting her tie her up, because not being able to touch Beca, or herself, at this very second was driving her insane. Beca had smoothly stripped down to her underwear and bra, which Chloe noticed matched for once – Beca never paid too much attention to her underwear, but she had had time to plan for this one. And maybe even bought some lacy lingerie that she thought Chloe would like. Black, of course.

She sashayed her way over to the bed, Chloe's eyes never leaving her, and pulled Chloe's jeans and underwear off in one fell swoop. She sang the last few lines as she crawled up the redhead's body, her navy eyes locked on Chloe's own baby blues.

 **He wears a red bandana, plays a blues pi-anna**

 **(In a honky-tonk, down in Mexico)**

 **He wears a purple sash, and a black moustache**

 **(In a honky-tonk, down in Mexico)**

Beca had actually planned this on her own, tossing in one of her favorite songs to the beginning of Stacie's sex playlist. As she finished the last line, she ran two fingers through the redhead's dripping folds, never breaking eye contact. Chloe gasped and bit her lip to hold in a moan at the delicious feeling. Without warning, Beca plunged two fingers into her, making Chloe cry out in an amazing combination of pleasure and pain. Beca loved watching Chloe when she first entered her. Actually, Beca just loved watching Chloe period. Beca captured Chloe's lips in a quick but intense kiss before working her way down to pay attention to her breasts. Beca had started out slow but was now thrusting in and out of Chloe at a quicker pace, making the older girl writhe underneath her. Every time Beca would hit a sensitive spot with her mouth or fingers, Chloe would moan Beca's name or let out an unintelligible slew of curses. She was constantly pulling against the handcuffs so hard that she was sure she would have bruises the next day, but there wasn't even a little bit of her that cared – the things Beca was doing to her were driving her crazy. But she still needed more.

"Baby…unfff…fuck Bec…." Somehow Beca knew exactly what she needed in that moment and moved to settle between Chloe's legs, her fingers never ceasing their thrusts. Beca sucked Chloe's clit into her mouth hard, throwing Chloe over the edge and into an intense orgasm. The handcuffs scraped against the bars once again, causing Beca's eyes to snap up and witness Chloe losing all control. The metallic sound also served to remind Chloe exactly what position she was in and made her orgasm even better. Beca helped her ride it out, trying to keep up her thrusting even as Chloe's walls clenched around her fingers. She slowly removed her hand from between Chloe's legs as the redhead relaxed into the bed, whimpering slightly at the loss. Somewhere along the line, Beca had added a third finger and completely filled her. She watched Chloe regain her breath and only started licking her fingers clean when her girlfriend opened her eyes so she could watch. Chloe bit her lip as Beca did so, then pushed her head back into the pillows as Beca softly kissed her way up Chloe's body. Chloe could taste herself when their lips met, making her moan softly into Beca's mouth. Beca reached over to the bedside table for the keys to the handcuffs and released Chloe, placing a kiss on each wrist where they were a little red from Chloe's struggling.

"Ugh stop doing that." Chloe mock whined. Beca tossed the handcuffs onto the bedside table and rolled back over to face her girlfriend, who had rolled onto her side and buried her face into the pillows.

"Doing what?" Beca asked innocently – she wasn't sure what exactly Chloe was referring to, so she decided to play along.

"Being all hot and sexy and then sweet and caring, it's just too much." Chloe spoke into the pillow, shifting slightly to crack an eye open at Beca who just laughed.

"Sorry, Beale. Next time I'll just leave you tied up and let you find your own way out. Houdini style." Beca smirked, pulling Chloe in to cuddle her. Chloe switched from the pillows to bury her face in Beca's neck, giving her a playful nip. Beca couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her lips – she was still in desperate need of attention, but she wanted to let Chloe recover first. Chloe hummed appreciatively at the noise, pushing her thigh between Beca's legs and pulling the shorter girl closer so she could kiss her neck.

"Fuck, Chlo," Beca gasped as she grinded her hips into Chloe's thigh.

"Want to try something else?" Chloe pulled back to look Beca in the eye as she asked her question.

"Uh huh," Beca didn't care what Chloe did at this point, as long as it involved the redhead's mouth and fingers. Chloe flicked the clasp on Beca's bra and pulled it off, tossing it behind her. She kissed Beca while taking a nipple between her thumb and index fingers and pinching hard. Beca's hips moved of their own accord into Chloe's, and Chloe didn't want to waste any more time. She practically tore off Beca's underwear and before Beca could ask what she wanted to try, Chloe sat up and aligned their centers and rolled her hips into Beca's. Beca's hands immediately shot to Chloe's hips, tightening her grip as Chloe's clit rubbed against her own. They had never done this before and the sensation of Chloe against her was seriously unbelievable. She began thrusting her hips up against Chloe's, making both girls moan at the intense feeling. Beca had to fight to keep her eyes from rolling back into her head, choosing instead to focus on Chloe's eyes which were staring right back at her. It made the whole experience that much more intimate. Chloe scratched her right hand down Beca's torso, her left hand pulling Beca's leg up over her own hips to bring them impossibly closer.

"Fuck. I'm so close, Chlo, don't stop." Beca panted. Chloe threw her head back and rocked her hips into Beca's at a slightly different angle, causing Beca's hips to buck into hers and the moan she was suppressing to slip from her lips. She then leaned down and kissed Beca deeply before moving to whisper in her ear.

"Cum with me, Bec" Her voice was like music to Beca's ears, raspy and full of need. Chloe pulled back, their eyes meeting once more. With a couple more thrusts, each one harder than the last, Beca was thrown over the edge, Chloe not far behind her. Chloe collapsed beside Beca, both of their chests heaving.

"Holy shit." Beca said in awe. She didn't even move to look at Chloe, she was still too dazed. It seemed Chloe was in the same state, she only murmured a quiet agreement. Chloe moved to tuck herself into Beca's side – they were both covered in a thin sheen of sweat by this point, but neither of them cared. They lay like that for a few more minutes before another song came on and Beca started singing along softly while tracing random patterns on the redhead's bare back.

 **Oh, her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining**

 **Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying**

 **She's so beautiful**

 **And I tell her everyday.**

Chloe just smiled and snuggled in closer to her adorable girlfriend. Beca Mitchell was many things, but badass wasn't one of them. At least not where Chloe was concerned.

 **Yeah, I know, I know when I compliment her, she won't believe me**

 **And it's so, it's so sad to think that she doesn't see what I see**

 **But every time she ask me do I look okay?**

 **I say**

 **When I see your face**

 **There's not a thing that I would change**

 **'Cause you're amazing**

 **Just the way you are**

Beca finished the song with Chloe lying contently in her arms. When it ended, she looked down only to find the redhead fast asleep. Beca pulled the covers over them and soon fell asleep as well.


	11. Chapter 11 - Together, Right?

Their first public performance had been disaster. The singing was appalling, and the dancing worse. They were asked to leave in the middle of their first song, and, if anything, Beca wished it had happened sooner.

After the performance, Aubrey told them to remember the feeling so they would never want to experience it again, Beca heartily agreed with her. Sure, it had been far too early for the mostly new group to give a public performance, but Aubrey's little speech had been a great motivation to never let it happen again regardless. The singing had gotten better – a lot better – and the dancing improved considerably as well from where they had started, but they were still way below acceptable. In Beca's opinion, what kept them from actually being good was Aubrey's dogged insistence that they never change their set list, or even their choreography. She continually tried to suggest changes at rehearsals and Aubrey kept refusing. Chloe just stood by while Aubrey just shut Beca down, time after time. It was frustrating; both to be repeatedly shut down and to watch her girlfriend just stand by and let it happen. Beca would've argued more and harder with Aubrey, but without Chloe's backing she wasn't sure that there wasn't something to Aubrey's argument. Maybe Beca just didn't have enough experience of competitive a cappella. With Chloe's help, however, Beca was confident that they could completely revamp the Bellas and make them into a group worthy of winning the ICCAs. She just didn't have Chloe's support, and wasn't sure how to get it…Beca was uncomfortable with exploiting their personal relationship to influence Bella politics, so she tended to avoid the subject altogether when with Chloe. She also didn't want to make it a "Me or your best friend" thing with Chloe, because as much as it seemed like the redhead loved them both, Aubrey had been around a lot longer and it just wasn't a risk Beca was willing to take.

And of course there were Chloe's nodes. Chloe had announced them to the group, and Beca, after their first horrible performance. Beca was in shock at Chloe's admission, having had no inkling that anything was wrong. She wanted to comfort Chloe, but as soon as she told the group, Aubrey had an arm wrapped tight around Chloe's shoulders and was shooting daggers at anyone that tried to get near the pair. Beca, still unsure of what exactly was going on, had been forced to keep her mouth shut but was secretly very hurt at Chloe's decision not to tell her. Chloe had gone home with Aubrey after her big confession, telling Beca she was tired and needed a nap and some alone time. Beca didn't want to push Chloe – she herself had a thing about alone time, so she knew how much Chloe must need it if she was asking for it. She had never asked Beca for alone time before, in fact she had seriously cut down Beca's own alone time. Which Beca was more than okay with, because it's Chloe and who the hell would ever turn down spending time with Chloe? So Beca went home, scoured the internet for anything and everything she could find, and basically became as much of a nodes expert as one can become with a few hours and a laptop. When Chloe texted her later that night asking to come over, though, Beca jumped on the opportunity. She instantly texted Chloe back, saying Kimmy Jin had already left to go home for the weekend, but still offering to go to Chloe's place. She knew it had been a rough day for her girlfriend and wanted to make things easier on her. Chloe replied wanting to give Aubrey a break, though, as the blonde had spent all afternoon consoling the distraught ginger, so she made her way over to Beca's dorm.

About ten minutes later, Beca wordlessly opened the door wide, giving Chloe plenty of room to enter. Chloe perched on the edge of Beca's bed, fully aware of the bomb that she had dropped on the brunette about her nodes. Beca came to stand in front of her, arms crossed, waiting for Chloe to say something. She looked down at the ground and awkwardly shuffled her feet, still a bit uncomfortable with the fact that Chloe had let Aubrey comfort her and take her home instead of Beca. Aubrey was her best friend, but still, it had made Beca feel a little…well, like Chloe didn't need her.

"I'm sorry…" Chloe finally said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I didn't want to face it and it was easier to tell everyone at once, otherwise I would have just told you and…I don't know, I just freaked out and decided it would be better not to tell anyone until I had to. And then today I just snapped." Chloe explained, not looking up to meet Beca's eyes.

Beca sat down next to her, her heart melting at the redhead's distress. She wrapped her arms around Chloe, kissing her temple and whispering,

"I just wish you would have told me so I could have been there for you."

"I know," Chloe whispered back, leaning into Beca's embrace.

"I'm sorry. I'm just scared." She nuzzled her face into Beca's neck and looped her arms around her waist.

"It'll be okay Chlo, I promise," Beca said, pulling away from Chloe and turning her face so she could look into Chloe's beautiful blue eyes.

"But what if it's not? What happens if I can never sing again?" Chloe's voice was barely audible, tears filling her eyes at the thought.

"Hey, that's not going to happen. But no matter what does happen, I'll be here for you and we'll get through it together. Okay?" Beca tugged Chloe back against her as she sniffled her quiet agreement. Beca rested her cheek against the older girl's head, mulling her next words over in her head. The couple hadn't been together that long, but Beca was sure about this. And she wanted to improve Chloe's day, almost sure this would do the trick.

"I love you, Chloe." Beca murmured quietly but steadily. She felt Chloe automatically tense in her arms, causing her to tense up in response. She waited for Chloe to relax back into her; sure she would say it back…until she didn't…

"I…Beca…I care about you a lot…" Chloe stammered and trailed off, loosening her grip on Beca ever so slightly. Beca pulled away fully though, standing up and walking to the far side of the room. They hadn't been so far apart in a private space since their first date. Beca just stared at Chloe, arms wrapped around herself like a small child, tears welling in her eyes. She had just confessed her love, bared her soul and Chloe had left her hanging. That left a hole in her heart. Didn't Chloe love her? Why didn't she say it back? Questions raced through Beca's mind as she continued to stare at Chloe, hoping she would fix it. Tears were falling down her cheeks now, and she wasn't sure exactly why. It wasn't like Chloe had broken up with her. But Chloe didn't love her. And Chloe's reply was…well, not what Beca was expecting. Because Beca had been sure that Chloe would say it back. So now she was just confused. And the war of emotions raging across Chloe's face wasn't helping. For once, Beca had no idea what was going through Chloe's head. Beca always knew, because Chloe always told her. Except for today. Today had been a record breaking day for Chloe in the amount of things she was keeping to herself. That list included her affection; because usually when Beca was upset about something all Chloe had to do was wrap her arms around her and Beca would feel better. But right now there was no Chloe wrapped around her, only the cold air.

"Becs…" Chloe began, her voice hoarse through her own tears, "I…I need some time to…to think about things." Chloe tried to keep her voice steady, but on the inside she was freaking out. Beca was in love with her. Chloe hadn't really thought about this happening, about Beca falling in love with her, about her falling in love with Beca. She had lost track of herself in how much fun she was having with Beca. She had forgotten to stop and think about what it meant for her. Was she bi? Was she a lesbian? What would her family say? Chloe was really close with her family, what if they didn't approve? What would happen? She had never exactly pictured her wedding, standing up there next to a man, but she hadn't exactly questioned her sexuality before Beca. And then everything just…happened. All at once. One second she's fooling around in the shower with a guy, the next she is totally consumed by thoughts of this tiny DJ. How could someone so small manage to single handedly flip her whole world upside down? Chloe's head was spinning. She didn't know what to do. Deep down, she knew she loved Beca, but the words were stuck in her throat. She was just quite simply losing it. Not that she had a very good grip on things considering she was already on edge about her nodes. This was all just too much, too much at once. She could feel her brain shutting down, all coherent thought being replaced with song lyrics. That's what happened when everything became too much for Chloe to handle, her brain turned into an iPod and she just walked around endlessly until the music stopped. The lyrics were already taking over when she slowly rose off the bed and walked towards Beca, who backed as far into the corner behind her as she could possibly go, shaking her head and silently crying harder. Chloe stopped at that, her left arm outstretched towards Beca, unsure of what to do. She couldn't be there for Beca right now, not the way Beca needed her to be. So she let her arm drop, walked the last few feet to Beca, and placed a feather light kiss to her cheek before slipping out the door. Beca had closed her eyes at the feeling of Chloe's lips on her cheek, praying it wouldn't be the last time she felt those lips, and refused to open them until she heard the door click shut. She slumped to the floor, letting the sobs wrack her body until she couldn't cry any more and dragged herself into bed.

Chloe must have walked the whole campus twice before her brain stopped it's musical assault on itself. It was getting late and she really just wanted her bed at this point. Soft and warm. Except tonight it would be empty. No Beca to keep her warm. No Beca to cuddle with. And that was all her fault. But she and Beca had only been together for a month, and only officially a couple for a week. Not that anything had really changed since Beca had officially asked her to be her girlfriend; they had basically been acting like a couple since the very beginning. It wasn't really that things were moving too fast for Chloe, that hadn't bothered her until she was faced with the one truth she just couldn't bring herself to accept yet. She was in love with Beca Mitchell. Chloe reached this conclusion as she neared her apartment building. It was odd, feeling her heart swell with happiness while her brain exploded with confusion and doubt. Yes, she was in love with Beca. But what did that mean for her? Who was she? She didn't know anymore. Chloe had never really questioned anything fundamental about herself by this point in her life, she had never needed to do so. She knew exactly who she was, what she wanted, and what made her happy. Now, the last two questions were easy to answer. She wanted Beca; Beca was who made her happy. Happier than Chloe had ever been before, which was really saying something considering the unfalteringly positive outlook Chloe generally had on life.

The first question, however, was what had her brain working overtime and her stomach in knots. She had begun questioning herself when she and Beca had first started dating, but had then shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind. She hadn't planned on dealing with them just yet. Except now she had to deal with them. Before walking into her building, Chloe stopped to take one last look at the moon. It had been guiding her all night, lighting her way. Now, it appeared as if there was almost a rainbow ringing it. Chloe scoffed bitterly, the moon sure did have a sense of humor, and went up to her apartment. She quickly poured herself three shots of whiskey, downing them all before heading to bed. There was no way she was going to get to sleep on her own tonight, and she was tired of thinking. It had been a terrible day, and all she wanted was for it to be over. She would tackle the rest of her issues in the morning.

Chloe awoke the next morning to the sound of music and singing, along with the smell of waffles, coming from the kitchen. She threw on her favorite hoodie before realizing it smelled like Beca and ripping it off. She couldn't handle that right now. The redhead quickly found another hoodie, one that had just been washed, and made her way into the kitchen where she found Aubrey and Stacie making breakfast together.

"Good morning, Chloe!" Aubrey greeted her extra cheerfully. Aubrey was always a morning person, but Stacie was really working wonders on her happiness levels. Chloe knew the two had become close and she could see Aubrey starting to relax a little more in everything she did. Stacie was a good influence on Aubrey, and that made Chloe happy.

"Morning, guys." Chloe rasped back, her voice hoarse from crying. It was then that Aubrey and Stacie both turned to take in her appearance, noting the red rimming her eyes and the makeup smudged around them. Aubrey walked over and pulled Chloe into a hug, thinking this was just about her nodes. She hadn't seen her roommate last night, but had just assumed Chloe stayed late at Beca's or had even spent the night since that was a frequent occurrence. But the ferocity with which Chloe hugged her back alerted her that something else had to be wrong. When Chloe started shaking slightly with silent sobs, Aubrey pulled back to see tears falling from her eyes.

"Hey, hey. What's wrong, Chlo?" Aubrey's voice was laced with concern. She knew there was something that Chloe wasn't telling her. At that moment, the song that was playing ended and "Just The Way You Are" came on. Chloe just turned to stare at the speakers with a blank expression before begging Aubrey to turn it off and slumping to the floor.

"Chloe, talk to me, what happened?" Aubrey knelt in front of her best friend, hands resting on her shoulders.

"I…Beca…" Chloe started crying harder, pulling her knees up against her chest and making herself as small as possible.

"Damnit, Chlo. I knew that fucking midget was no good!" Aubrey practically screamed. She shot up, grabbed her keys, and paused at the door.

"Stace, just stay with Chloe, please. I'll be back after I kill that hobbit." Aubrey snapped.

"Bree, wait, we don't – " Stacie tried to get out, but Aubrey had already left, slamming the door behind her. Stacie turned the stove off, abandoning the food, and sat down on the floor next to Chloe. She put her arm around the older girl and pulled her against her. Chloe seemed a little shell-shocked by what had just happened and she knew she should have stopped Aubrey but she just couldn't process quickly enough. She didn't think of any of the logical ways to get Aubrey to come back, to explain what she had done. She kept thinking how she should say something, anything, but how do you say "Oh, so my unbelievable girlfriend told me she loved me and I panicked and left?" Chloe didn't know. She was ashamed of herself. Ashamed of how she was behaving. But she felt trapped.

"Chlo…what happened?" Stacie asked softly, interrupting Chloe's thoughts. Stacie knew exactly how Beca felt about Chloe, so she was skeptical to believe the tiny brunette had purposefully done anything to hurt their favorite ginger. Beca was emotionally closed off, but behind those walls was the sweetest, most caring person Stacie knew.

"Beca told me she loves me." Chloe said, her voice devoid of emotion. She had her head resting against Stacie's shoulder and just looked down, pulling her knees tighter against her.

"Okay…" Stacie kept her voice soft, encouraging Chloe to continue.

"I didn't say it back." Again, no emotion. It seemed like the redhead was just drained.

"Why not?" Stacie was genuinely curious. She had seen the way the couple was around each other, they were so obviously in love it was almost painful to watch.

"I…don't know."

"Do you love her?"

"It's not that simple…" Chloe sighed, sitting up a little. She wasn't enjoying this conversation. It was only serving to make her feel worse.

"What do you mean?" Stacie was fully confused now. And a little angry. Beca had opened herself up completely to this girl and then this happens? It wasn't fair. She knew life wasn't fair, but still. Beca was a good person who had bad things happen to her. She deserved something good.

"I'm not…I've never…ugh. I'm not gay. Or I wasn't. Maybe I am. I don't know. It's all just too much to handle." Chloe blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Chloe, it's okay. Coming out to yourself can be hard, but don't push Beca away. She doesn't open up to people easily, trust me. We've been friends for years now, and it took me a long time to get through her barriers. Although I'm sure my boobs helped with that. Stacie winked, trying to make Chloe laugh. Chloe, on the other hand, missed the joke and pulled away from Stacie completely, eyes wide in shock and mouth slightly open.

"…you and Beca….?" She couldn't even form complete sentences. She hadn't really thought of Beca's past sexual history, especially not with anyone she knew.

"Oh my god, no! No, no, no." Stacie shook her head furiously.

"Becs is hot and all, but no. I think she just had a crush on me in high school, but I much prefer blondes." Stacie winked again, obviously referring to Aubrey.

"Oh, right…" Chloe visibly relaxed.

"I would say you should call Aubrey and call her off, but she left her phone here…" Stacie said, eyeing Aubrey's phone that was lying on the counter.

"Beca already hates me, I doubt Aubrey could make it worse. I just hope she isn't too hard on her…" Chloe sighed in a defeated tone.

"Beca does not hate you. I haven't talked to her yet but she could never hate you. Beca looks at you like you're the moon and the sun and the stars all wrapped into one. Sometimes I have to set rules for her not to talk about you when we hang out because otherwise I think she would never shut up about whatever cute thing you did that day or how 'staggeringly beautiful,' you are, and that's a direct quote." Stacie put her arm around Chloe once more, trying to comfort her distraught friend.

"I feel like I fucked up the best thing that has ever happened to me. But I'm trapped and can't fix it." Chloe buried her face into her hands, shaking her head at herself.

"I'm not going to lie, you probably did some significant damage, but you can fix it. You're not trapped, not really. Just inside your head. Take a few days, think it through, just don't forget how much you obviously love her." Stacie smiled encouragingly at Chloe, who simply nodded.

"BECA FUCKING MITCHELL YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" Aubrey was pounding on Beca's door while yelling loud enough for the whole hall to hear her. She was enraged enough not to care that it was 9 AM on a Sunday and most people were probably still sleeping. She heard shuffling coming from inside the room and crossed her arms, waiting for Beca to answer the door. It finally swung open, revealing the tiny freshman looking much like Chloe – red-rimmed eyes, smudged makeup, and anoversized hoodie (this one was actually Chloe's, Beca had slept in it because it still smelled like her.).

"What the FUCK did you do to Chloe?!" Aubrey was still yelling, not even taking her time to come into Beca's dorm. Beca just stared at her with broken eyes, looking even smaller in that moment, before tears slipped from her eyes at the mention of the redhead.

"Beca I swear if you don't tell me what the hell you did to my best friend I will – " Aubrey began before Beca cut her off.

"I told her I love her." Beca choked out, tears still falling steadily but quietly from her eyes.

"Then WHY is she sobbing in our apartment over you?!" Aubrey snapped, clearly befuddled but still angry. It had to be Beca's fault, there's no way Chloe was the one who fucked this up. Chloe was way too upset for this to be her fault.

"I don't know, she doesn't even love me." Beca's voice was so soft Aubrey had to strain to hear her, and her jaw dropped before Beca gently shut the door. Aubrey stood there for another few minutes, still trying to comprehend what Beca had just told her. Maybe she should have gotten the whole story from Chloe before storming over here…she spun on her heels and made her way back to their shared apartment. When she got there, she found Stacie alone on the couch.

"Chloe's in the shower." Stacie turned her head so she could see Aubrey and waved her over.

"What happened with Beca?" She asked as Aubrey settled in next to her. Aubrey just sighed and was silent for a few minutes.

"I…well I kind of yelled at her a little and she told me she said 'I love you' to Chloe and apparently Chloe didn't say it back…Is that true? Did Chloe say anything to you?" Aubrey had the good grace to be ashamed of her brash conclusions.

"Yeah, Chloe told me the same thing," Stacie laced their fingers together and rested her head on Aubrey's shoulder.

"Why didn't Chloe say it back?" Chloe was one of the most emotionally available people Aubrey had ever met, so this curveball was one she hadn't been expecting. At all.

"I think you should talk to her about it. It sounds like she's just scared." Stacie nuzzled into Aubrey's neck, throwing her legs across Aubrey's lap.

"I'll ask if she wants to talk when she gets out of the shower. Maybe you should go see Beca, she looked so broken when I was there…. I feel really bad about that now. I'll apologize to her tomorrow. I just…I was so sure she had done something to hurt Chloe…" Aubrey's words were a little shaky and Stacie knew exactly how hard it was for the blonde to say that.

"I'll head over there in a little bit. But I'm proud of you, Bree, for admitting that." Stacie lifted her head to kiss Aubrey's cheek and smiled at her.

"What can I say, you're making me a better person." Aubrey fused their lips in a gentle kiss, cutting it short when they heard the bathroom door open and Chloe walked into the room, freshly showered and clothed. Stacie swung her legs off Aubrey and stood up.

"Well, that's my cue. We both have best friends to talk to right now." She gave Aubrey another quick peck on the lips, gave Chloe another hug, and made her way over to Beca's.


	12. Chapter 12 - Tear In My Heart

**A/N: Thanks for all the kind words, guys! I love writing, especially stories like this, and feedback makes it more fun. Songs used: Take Me Home (Chainsmokers Remix) - Cash Cash ft Beba Rexha, and Tear in My Heart - Twenty One Pilots**

Stacie was surprised at how much Beca needed her over the next few days. She was more than willing to be there for the person she considered her best friend (they had become pretty close over the last few weeks as well), but she had never seen Beca this vulnerable. Chloe had really done a number on her, even Aubrey could see that. She had gone over to Beca's dorm and apologized for flipping out on her without knowing the whole story. Beca had just said thank you, shut the door, and went back to bed. She was spending a lot of time in bed. She skipped the first rehearsal after Chloe initiated their break, not break up – no one was really sure where the couple stood and the two hadn't actually talked since that day. But she was there the next day, the two of them steadily avoiding eye contact and each other at all costs. It made the whole thing acutely uncomfortable for everyone. The only person Beca would really talk to was Stacie, and Amy a bit, mostly offering weak smiles at her jokes. It scared the girls, honestly, at how broken their snarky little DJ had become. News had traveled, so everyone knew what had happened and pretty much left Beca alone. They treated her as if she were fragile, and tried not to treat Chloe differently but all the same, the redhead felt like they all hated her. Hell, she hated herself. Hated seeing what she had done to Beca, but she couldn't bring herself to fix it. Seeing Beca so dejected was eating her up from the inside, just like her own internal war. But before she could fix what she had done, she had to come to terms with herself. Figure out who she was.

Four days after "The Incident," (that's what Beca had come to call it in her mind. Because she didn't know what else to call it and thinking about it hurt too much) Beca had finally gotten her shit together and was sitting on the grass in the quad, killing some time before her next lecture. She had her headphones on and was in the zone, working on a mix, when she saw something flutter in the corner of her eye. She looked to her right to see Jesse spreading a blanket and his lips were moving. She rolled her eyes and removed her headphones in time to hear him say something about a "movi-cation," whatever the fuck that was.

"And I'm going to give it to you." Beca almost gagged at the double entendre in that sentence. She knew Jesse must have heard about her and Chloe and what people were undoubtedly terming a breakup, because that's pretty much what it was.

"Jesse…you know that just because…" Beca choked on her next words, not wanting to say Chloe's name and go over what happened. Talking about it hurt. Talking about her hurt. Jesse put a hand on her shoulder and smiled softly.

"No, I know. I'm sorry I was a jerk before. I was jealous, but I get it. Can we be friends?" His puppy dog eyes were pleading with her to accept.

"Yeah sure I guess so, weirdo." Beca sighed, rolling her eyes. It was nice to have another friend that cared. She didn't have a whole lot of those, and at this point she wasn't really in the mood to turn one more down.

"Aca-awesome! We can be lesbros!" Jesse grinned, thinking he was so clever for coming up with the term 'lesbros.'

"Ok wait. Conditions. We can be friends on three of them. 1) Never say "aca" anything, ever again. 2) Never say lesbros ever again. And 3) No movies." Beca pointed at him with a stern look on the last point.

"Ok…but no movies?!" There were the puppy dog eyes again.

"Ugh, fine, ONE a week. Choose wisely, Swanson." Beca relented, damn those puppy dog eyes. Where the fuck were all these people with ridiculous eyes coming from? First Chloe, now Jesse. Fucking Chloe. Beca wanted to go just one goddamn minute without thinking about the redhead.

"Yes!" Jesse fist pumped and Beca thought he must be the lamest person she had ever met. Also kind of cute in a little brother type way. And there was another one of those thoughts that she would take to her freaking grave, because Beca Mitchell did not find people cute. Except Chloe. Jesus fucking Christ, Chloe again. Couldn't Beca ever catch a break?

"So are you guys getting ready for the riff-off?" Jesse asked as he tossed her a juice pouch.

"What the fuck is a riff-off?" Beca deadpanned, her displeasure written all over her face. She had skipped rehearsal on Monday and hadn't paid much attention in the last few, so maybe Aubrey had told them about it. She honestly wasn't sure. Jesse explained the rules and where it was going to be, suggesting that they pregame lightly beforehand. Beca agreed – alcohol had become a good friend of hers in the last few days. And she had to admit, Jesse was kind of fun to be around. Distracting.

* * *

Beca and Jesse arrived at the riff-off together, laughing at some dorky joke Jesse had just told. Chloe's eyes immediately snapped up at the sound of the brunette's laughter – god she missed that laugh. Her eyebrows furrowed upon seeing Beca and Jesse walking shoulder to shoulder before they split off to join their respective groups. Beca's smile fell as she saw Chloe and she was back to the quiet, broken version of herself Chloe had come to know over the last few days. Jealousy boiled inside Chloe, jealousy that Jesse could make her laugh and smile while she could only make her retreat into herself. And that made Chloe angry, angry at herself. Angry that she couldn't be the girl that Beca needed, the girl that Beca deserved. But wait, Beca didn't need her. Beca didn't need her to be happy. That was pretty clear, if her entrance into the pool meant anything. But Beca had wanted her, wanted to share her happiness with Chloe. Which only served to make Chloe feel like more of a colossal ass than she already did. That was a feat in and of itself, considering how shitty she had been feeling the last few days. She had been missing Beca terribly, constantly asking Stacie about her and ignoring all attempts made by Stacie or Aubrey to get Chloe to talk to her. Something was stuck inside her, something was keeping her where she was, trapping her. She just hadn't figured it out yet. She needed to do that before she could even think about approaching the girl she had hurt so badly once already. Just then, Tommy kicked off the riff-off, snapping her out of her thoughts. The Bellas were doing quite well, going toe to toe with the Trebles on every category. At least they were until Jesse broke out with "Feels Like The First Time" by Foreigner, and the Bellas seemed at a loss. Chloe had to stop herself from smacking the stupid smirk off his face as he sang and pointed at Beca, who was just laughing at him. When the hell did these two get so close?

Beca stopped laughing and looked a little shocked for a moment before rushing Jesse and spitting the rap to "No Diggity" by Blackstreet almost flawlessly. Chloe's jaw dropped and her eyes widened – she didn't know Beca could rap, and it was possibly the biggest turn on ever. Aubrey, seeing Chloe's reaction, sidled her way over to her best friend.

"You're going to catch flies, Chlo." Aubrey teased as she closed Chloe's mouth. Chloe just shook herself out of her stupor, looking at Aubrey, realizing yet again how badly she had fucked up. Her eyes began to fill with tears but she blinked them away and joined in with the rest of the group as they finished out the song. Apparently, however, the rules were a little too strict and they still wound up losing, which made Aubrey lose her shit. Beca, who had been riding a pretty good high after finishing that performance, almost snapped back at Aubrey but found she just didn't have the strength. So she stayed silent, listening to Aubrey's rant and subsequent orders. The second Bree was done talking, Beca bolted from the group and found Jesse, pulling him out of the pool. Beca was in desperate need of another drink before her night shift at the radio station which was starting in thirty minutes, but Chloe didn't know that. All she knew was that Beca hadn't looked at her once during the entire riff-off and proceeded to leave as quickly as possible with the Treble that had been hitting on her for most of the year…

"Hey Chlo…are you ok?" The Bellas had dispersed and yet Chloe was still standing there, posture rigid, clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides. If looks could kill, Jesse would have been dead ten times over. Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. After a second, she turned to face Aubrey.

"Yeah, sorry Bree, I'm fine." Chloe lied. She was anything but fine. But what grounds did she have to be jealous?

"So Jesse and Beca leaving together didn't bother you?" Stacie prodded. She had been patiently waiting for Chloe to get her head out of her ass and make things right with Beca, but that wasn't happening. So she was switching tactics. Chloe's eyes narrowed, her hands clenching at her sides again.

"Of course not." Chloe ground out through gritted teeth. Seriously, what the hell was she supposed to say here.

"Oh, I just thought it might have since you're in love with her and all." Stacie said causally as she examined her cuticles. Aubrey looked a little shocked at Stacie's statement but said nothing, instead focusing her attention on Chloe, who looked like she was about to slap Stacie.

"Fuck you." Chloe spun on her heels and stalked out of the pool. Aubrey started after her, but Stacie caught her by the wrist.

"Don't, let her think about things. She needs to work through this on her own." Stacie's eyes never left Chloe's departing form as she spoke.

"I'm just worried about her…I've never seen her like this before. It's like she doesn't know which way is up anymore – she's confused, she's hurt, she's angry, and the worst part is it's all her fault. I don't think she's ever dealt with anything like this before." Aubrey sighed, resting her forehead on Stacie's shoulder. Stacie wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist (it happened about a week ago, much more privately than Beca's public stunt) and held her for a minute before breaking away.

"She'll be ok. Come on, let's go back to my room and give her some space. And maybe give us some space too, she's been in your apartment a lot lately and you know I don't like being quiet." Stacie winked, pulling Aubrey out of the pool area.

* * *

Chloe walked in the direction of Beca's dorm, hoping to catch up with Beca and Jesse and…well she didn't know what she was going to do if she found them. She didn't have to figure it out, though, because they were nowhere in sight. Chloe's shoulders slumped in defeat and she went home, climbing into bed and turning on her radio to the campus radio station (she knew Beca worked nights sometimes and occasionally got to run a show, so she almost always had it on. She wasn't sure if tonight was going to be one of those nights). It was more out of habit than anything else at this point, so when Beca's voice drifted through her speakers Chloe almost jumped out of her bed.

"Hey guys, this is DJ B Mitch and you're listening to WBUJ, music for the independent mind. Tonight's segment…well I'm just going to play what I feel." Beca's voice was a little tinny through the radio, but it still made Chloe's heart ache. She was anxious to see what Beca would play. Tears filled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that night as the first song came on.

 **I'm falling to pieces**

 **But I need this**

 **Yeah, I need this**

 **You're my fault**

 **My weakness**

 **When did you turn so cold**

Chloe wondered if Beca knew she'd be listening, if she was trying to tell Chloe something. Maybe that there was still hope for them? Chloe knew she was an idiot for hoping that, she had ruined everything. She didn't deserve a second chance. She hadn't even given Beca a clean breakup, she had just said she needed time and then they fell into a pattern of avoidance and silence.

 **You cut me down to the bone**

 **Now you're dancing**

 **All over my soul**

 **I'm falling to pieces**

 **To pieces, to pieces**

Ha. Leave it to Beca to find the perfect song.

 **But I still stay cause you're the only thing I know**

 **So won't you take, oh, won't you take me home**

 **Take me home, home, home**

 **Take me home, home, home**

The chorus broke Chloe's shattered heart into a million more pieces. She needed to figure her shit out fast, because the effect she was having on Beca was killing her. She got out of bed and started pacing the room, trying to sort her mind out. She didn't know if she wanted to hear the next song, but she couldn't make herself turn the radio off. Turns out, it was a mistake. She should have turned it off. Because the next song turned her into a sobbing mess.

 **Sometimes you gotta bleed to know**

 **That you're alive and have a soul**

 **But it takes someone to come around**

 **To show you how**

She recognized the song immediately but had never listened to the lyrics very closely before. It had always been a cute love song, as far as she was concerned. But after the last song, she knew it would have meaning. So she stopped pacing and listened.

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **I'm alive**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **I'm on fire**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **Take me higher**

 **Than I've ever been**

Ok, not terrible so far. She kind of had been the tear in Beca's heart.

 **The songs on the radio are okay**

 **But my taste in music is your face**

 **And it takes a song to come around**

 **To show you how**

Beca had said that to her once as a joke, that her taste in music was Chloe's face – she hadn't gotten it and Beca had just laughed at her and kissed the confused pout off her face. That memory hurt.

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **I'm alive**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **I'm on fire**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **Take me higher**

 **Than I've ever been (x4)**

Chorus again. She could handle that. Beca had kind of been the tear in her heart too, she realized.

 **You fell asleep in my car I drove the whole time**

 **But that's okay I'll just avoid the holes so you sleep fine**

 **I'm driving here I sit**

 **Cursing my government**

 **For not using my taxes to fill holes with more cement**

 **You fell asleep in my car I drove the whole time**

 **But that's okay I'll just avoid the holes so you sleep fine**

 **I'm driving here I sit**

 **Cursing my government**

 **For not using my taxes to fill holes with more cement**

This part was clearly why Beca loved the song. She had always been a fan of the little sections in Twenty One Pilots songs that were a change up from the rest of the song. That made Chloe smile a little, remembering how Beca would sing along to every part of a song. The lyrics, the guitar riffs, the drums – she used to do it all. But only when she was with Chloe. No one else got to see the Beca that Chloe did, Chloe had made Beca into the best version of herself. Beca knew that, and Chloe kind of did too. She had watched Beca transform from a prickly porcupine into…well into an only slightly prickly hedgehog. And she liked to think it was because of her. Deep down, Beca had always been that person. The world had just made her a little rougher around the edges, more reserved.

 **Sometimes you gotta bleed to know, oh, oh**

 **That you're alive and have a soul, oh, oh**

 **But it takes someone to come around**

 **To show you how**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **I'm alive**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **I'm on fire**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **Take me higher**

 **Than I've ever been**

 **My heart is my armor**

 **She's the tear in my heart**

 **She's a carver**

 **She's a butcher with a smile**

 **Cut me farther**

 **Than I've ever been (x4)**

And there it was. The killing blow. The last section is what triggered the sobs. Because it was so true, so Beca. So perfectly Beca. And while the song didn't imply heartbreak, if anything it implied the opposite, the song as it applied to them was definitely heartbreaking. Because Chloe had torn Beca's heart open and left her there to bleed out. She had torn her own heart open in the process, but that mattered less. What was important here was Beca. Chloe couldn't take it anymore and switched off the radio. She knew what she had to do, she had to fix this. And she finally knew where to start. Chloe quickly opened her laptop and booked herself a train ticket home to New York for the next weekend, shooting her parents and brothers a quick text telling them she would be home. She was terrified, but also slightly excited. She knew she was finally making progress. Progress towards getting her life back together, towards becoming herself again.

The next week passed much like the first – Chloe and Beca avoiding each other, not dealing with the problem. It was midterms season though, so they were both super busy outside of practice and class and then there was Beca's internship and it didn't leave them with a whole lot of time to think about things, much less talk. Plus, Beca still seemed to be spending a lot of time with Jesse. Or Stacie. Or Fat Amy. So even if Chloe knew what to say to her (she didn't), she wouldn't have had a chance to talk to her anyway. Beca's mood seemed to be slowly improving though, so that kind of made Chloe happy. A little. It was good that Beca was happier, right? But if Jesse was responsible for making her happy…Chloe knew she shouldn't keep going back to that, knew she had no claim on Beca and if she hadn't fucked things up she wouldn't even be in this position. So it was like saying no, I don't want cake and then getting mad when someone else eats what would have been your piece. Fuck. Now she was thinking about Jesse and Beca…ew. No. Beca said she was a lesbian, not interested in dudes, at all. Certainly not Jesse. Not even as friends. She had gone to great lengths to avoid the Treble while she had been with Chloe. That sure changed awfully fast after…well. It changed fast. Then again Chloe had fallen for Beca super fast…and she had never exactly been interested in a girl before…ok wait. She needed to stop. This was a dangerous path to let her mind wander down, because it most likely wasn't true. Right. Totally not true.

* * *

Beca hated it when people saw her as weak. Hated it when she was vulnerable. It gave people a chance to hurt her, and Chloe had already done that enough. So she started bottling everything back up again, hanging out with Jesse and Stacie and Fat Amy nonstop and forcing a smile or a smirk or a laugh whenever she could. She needed to be ok, and the easiest way to do that was to pretend she was ok until it became true. Fake it til you make it. She was good at that. Besides, Chloe seemed fucking fine. It had been a week since The Incident, and Chloe still hadn't said a fucking word to her. Not that she had given her much chance, but Jesus come on Beca should not be the one that comes crawling back here. She had her fucking dignity. That is, if being completely and utterly heartbroken to the point where she couldn't physically make herself speak to Chloe counted as dignity. Yup, that's what it was. Dignity. Jesse didn't care though, he was happy to have her pay attention to him even if it was just to take her mind off Chloe. They had become surprisingly close over the last few days (pretty much because Jesse was on Beca's heels like all the time and she needed the company, so she didn't shoo him away). And it wasn't lost on Beca that Chloe's eyes lit up with jealousy every time Jesse was anywhere near Beca. That and apparently Chloe had lost her shit the other day in front of Aubrey and Stacie. That made Beca a little happy in a sick way (sue her), just to know the redhead still had strong enough feelings for her to be possessive. Stacie was a great spy, and a great way to keep up with how Chloe was doing without actually talking to her. Not that Beca asked. Nope. Definitely didn't ask, definitely not every day. Because badasses don't ask about their ex-girlfriends (…so maybe Beca wasn't a badass after all.) Nevertheless, it didn't matter now. All that mattered was what Chloe would do next, if anything at all. Beca had made herself perfectly clear, she was in love with Chloe. That hadn't changed, and if Chloe had been listening to her late night show she would know that. So the ball was in Chloe's court, and Beca wasn't going to do a damn thing until the redhead made the first move. If she made a move at all. If she still wanted Beca.

* * *

Chloe's weekend at home was a lot easier than she had anticipated. When she got home on Friday she had sat her parents down and told them, with a gravely serious demeanor, that she pretty sure she was a lesbian. They had laughed, actually LAUGHED, at her and told her they suspected that already. Apparently, Chloe had been quite the ladies man when she was younger. And whenever she would play house, she would always be the husband and be playing with her imaginary wife. Chloe didn't really remember any of this, but her parents easy acceptance took a huge weight off of her shoulders. She talked to her two older brothers, Sam and Oliver, the next day and they just slugged her shoulder and asked if they could start checking out chicks together. They may or may not have gotten really excited about the fact that they were actually "lesbros," because they were already her bros and now she was a lesbian. Yeah, they were really excited about that. Chloe just hugged them and told them how much she loved them and everything continued on as normal. Except when they asked if she was seeing anyone – this had happened with her parents too, but the way Chloe had looked down at her hands and teared up slightly had given her parents pause and they ceased their line of questioning. When her brothers asked, she mentioned the tiny DJ and how she had completely fucked it up, without going into too much detail. Their advice was not to let the brunette be the one that got away – Chloe was beginning to agree with them at that point. As the weekend had progressed, so did her comfort level and confidence in herself. Things were going to be okay, she had just needed reassurance from the people she loved and trusted most. Chloe's family meant everything to her, and she hadn't even wanted to think about what would have happened if they hadn't accepted her. Lucky for her (and yes, she knew how incredibly lucky she was to have accepting parents. She had heard plenty of horror stories…) her parents, and brothers, were so supportive she felt stupid for even questioning them. It was like whatever had been trapping her was gone – loving Beca was okay. There was nothing to stop her now. The more she thought about it, the less she cared about what it meant about who she was. She could have told her family she was a Martian from outer space and they probably would have still told her they loved her and just wanted her to be happy. And that was it, that was the missing piece of the puzzle, the key to unlocking the cage she had put herself in. She was ready to get Beca back. Better yet, she was starting to feel like the same old Chloe again, which was perfect because she was heading home Saturday afternoon for their next competition that was Saturday night. Aubrey hadn't been happy when she announced she was going home – in fact, the Blonde had been furious, and Chloe had gone anyway. So they weren't exactly on the best terms right now, but she would fix that later. What she didn't know was that the night was going to be a lot more than she bargained for, and fixing things is never as easy as it may seem.


	13. Chapter 13 - The Best Damn Thing

"What the Hell, Beca?" Aubrey was almost screaming. "Were you trying to screw us up?" So yeah, Chloe went from feeling like everything was finally looking up to watching Aubrey rip into Beca after their set. She hadn't had time to talk to either girl beforehand. She had wanted to talk to Beca in person, not over text or anything stupid like that because the girl deserved so much better, but her train had been delayed and she had barely made it in time for the show. Aubrey was clearly pissed off as well, but Chloe couldn't bring herself to care. She was just excited about getting Beca back. Because Beca would take her back, wouldn't she? Yeah. Totally. I mean come on, after "Take Me Home," and "Tear In My Heart," Beca definitely still loved her. Even if that was over a week ago. Not that much can change in a week.

Beca stared at Aubrey in utter disbelief.

"Are you serious?" she yelled back.

"Newsflash!" Aubrey spat, "This isn't the Beca show!"

"Ok, I'm sorry that I messed you up but in case you hadn't noticed everybody pretty much dozed off during our set." Chloe knew Beca was right, but she hadn't actually talked to her in almost two weeks. Regardless, she knew she should help Beca. But she also knew Aubrey would hate her for that, and Aubrey was already mad at her for leaving.

"It's not your job to decide what we do or when we do it!" Aubrey was clearly getting more and more angry. "Why don't you ask the rest of the group what they thought about your little improvisation?"

"Amy?" Beca said, after a little hesitation. Amy looked uncomfortable.

"It was cool…but it did take us a little by surprise..." Amy trailed off.

"Yeah, a lot by surprise!" Aubrey was becoming calm, so Beca knew the next words were going to sting, "I told you she wasn't a Bella." Whoomp, there it is.

"Aubrey, don't…" Chloe began before Aubrey cut her off. She had to stop this situation from getting worse.

"No, she doesn't belong here."

"Yeah," Beca said to Chloe, "can't pretend you're allowed to have a say in the group, right?" Beca searched Chloe's eyes for a minute, hoping for…she didn't know what, exactly, but hoping for something.

"You're attitude sucks, you're a grade A pain in my ass, and I know you're hooking up with Jesse." Aubrey internally flinched as she let the last part slip from her mouth, she wasn't actually sure about that but the two had become awfully close. Chloe's flinch was a lot more visible, Beca's eyes snapping to hers immediately. She was about to deny the allegations, seeing how hurt Chloe was, when a voice came from behind her.

"Woah, woah. Aubrey, calm down, we're not hooking up. I swear." Jesse was walking towards them with a hand outstretched towards Beca.

"Jesus Christ, that's perfect, of course you're here right now! I don't need your help, okay? Can you back off?" The last thing Beca wanted was Chloe thinking Aubrey was right. She didn't really mean to snap at Jesse because she knew he really was just trying to help, but emotions were running high right now and he was an easy outlet. Beca turned away from him, his face resembling a kicked puppy, because she needed to focus on what was happening with the Bellas right now. And how Aubrey was essentially kicking her out. Great, first Chloe, then Aubrey.

"If this is what I get for trying…" Beca raised her hands as if to add "well then, fuck you," and her comment was directed just as much at Chloe as it was at Aubrey. She held Chloe's gaze for a minute too long, daring her to say something, begging her to say something. When Chloe didn't respond, Beca spun on her heels and walked out of the auditorium. Chloe's mouth was open, trying to figure out who she was supposed to side with in this instance, and how she was supposed to respond to that whole thing with Jesse. Her brain froze, and she saw the hurt flash in Beca's eyes at her lack of response. Beca had pretty much just shut down any inklings Chloe may have had that she was involved with Jesse. But how was she expected to choose between Beca and Aubrey, since both of them were already mad at her in that moment? It took her a second too long to realize that Aubrey would forgive her later, but she was actively making things worse with the girl she never should have let go. So she chased after Beca.

Beca had thought there was still something between her and Chloe, that maybe the redhead did love her after all and she was just coming to terms with it, but after Chloe just let Aubrey ream her out like that, Beca was done. She could hear Chloe running after her, begging her to stop, but Beca just kept walking. Tears were streaming down her face now, and she wasn't about to let Chloe know how much she had hurt her again. Never let them see you cry, right?

Beca took a cab back to her dorm, quickly stripped out of the tacky Bella flight attendant uniform, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. She lost herself under the stream of hot water, staying in there much longer than she had intended. She also kept quiet, not wanting any unwelcome interruptions. She didn't think Chloe would be looking for her any time soon, not based on how tonight had gone, but Chloe had ruined singing in the shower for her. At least for right now. As she walked back to her room, clad in her navy blue robe with her shower caddy in hand, she was surprised by what she found.

Curled up against her door, with her eyes rimmed in red and mascara streaking her face, was her…Chloe. Whatever Chloe was to her. Her ex-girlfriend, Beca thought bitterly. Definitely not _her_ Chloe. Not anymore.

"What do you want, Chloe?" Beca demanded emotionlessly, startling the redhead, who had been lost in thought. It had been two weeks since she had seen Chloe with no one else around, two weeks since she had spoken directly to her, with the exception of tonight. Chloe looked up at Beca, tears still running down her cheeks, eyes full of hurt. Pain. Regret.

"Becs…I…" Chloe began.

"No! Don't 'Becs,' me, Chloe. You don't get to call me that anymore. Now what do you want." Beca snapped. She had spent her shower trying to get the redhead out of her mind, not that she succeeded, and right now Chloe was the last person she wanted to see. Or maybe the only person. But only a tiny part of Beca felt that way.

Chloe stood up carefully, as if afraid that any sudden movement would scare Beca away. She reached for Beca's free hand with both of hers. Beca flinched at the contact, but didn't pull away. She simply looked down at their hands, and looked back up at Chloe, her face still blank.

"I said what do you want, Beale." She sighed. Chloe's touches still set her skin on fire, and right now all she wanted to do was curl up in Chloe's arms and cry. But she couldn't. Because Chloe wasn't hers anymore, Chloe had rejected her, and then Chloe had betrayed her. So Beca steeled herself, and waited for the answer.

"Can I come in? Please? I just want to talk to you." Chloe whispered, her eyes silently begging Beca to let her in. She knew she had missed the ultimate chance to show the brunette that she loved her, and all she knew now is that she had to find a way to make Beca forgive her.

"Fine. Kimmy Jin is here, but whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of her. Not like she cares anyway." Beca replied, still keeping her emotions in check. Tonight had been such a rollercoaster, she wasn't sure she even had any emotions left. She pulled her hand from Chloe's to open the door and walked inside, leaving Chloe alone to follow her. Kimmy Jin, who had heard Chloe crying outside the door earlier, took one look at the pair and abruptly left the room. Beca sighed again, walking over to her closet to pull on a pair of boxers underneath her robe. She thought about asking Chloe to turn around so she could throw a shirt on, but then decided she didn't care.

Beca untied her robe and let it slip from her shoulders, with her back to Chloe, and slipped into her favorite teal tank top. Sure, it was slightly revealing, but Beca honestly didn't give a damn. She just wanted to be comfortable right now. She turned around and caught Chloe staring at her, not that Chloe had stopped staring since she had followed Beca into the room. She was perched on the edge of Beca's bed, looking more out of place than Beca had ever seen her. Beca almost sat down on the bed, but thought better of it and plopped down in her desk chair instead. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her calves, looking as small and vulnerable as Chloe had ever seen her. Her damp hair and lack of makeup wasn't exactly helping either, Beca just looked so… _raw_. Beca propped her head on her knees and looked at Chloe expectantly.

"Well?" Beca asked in an annoyed tone. She wanted to get this over with. What she really wanted was to stop fighting the urge to just forgive Chloe for everything, to stop fighting the urge to climb into Chloe's lap and nuzzle her face into Chloe's neck and… _Goddamnit, Mitchell! No!_

Chloe watched the emotions dance through Beca's eyes, hopeful that she was really seeing what she thought she was. Hopeful that she hadn't truly lost Beca after all. She gripped the edge of the bed, her knuckles turning white, and cast her eyes down. She didn't know what to say to Beca. All of the confidence she had regained earlier was deserting her now in the face of a potential rejection. First she hadn't been able to say "I love you," then she had let Aubrey bully her out of the Bellas. What do you say to someone after that?

"I love you…" Chloe whispered, so softly that Beca couldn't hear more than the exhale of breath leaving Chloe's mouth.

"What? Chloe, come on, speak up. I know that's hard for you, but you're the one that wanted to talk." Beca spat. Chloe's head snapped up, hurt flashing through her eyes at Beca's jab. She saw the same hurt reflected in the storm blue eyes staring back at her.

"Beca…I love you." Chloe whispered again, just loud enough for Beca to hear. At first, Beca didn't react. She just sat there, dumbfounded. Chloe Beale just said she loved her. This should be awesome, right? Beca should be over the moon by now. But this is the same Chloe Beale that, only hours earlier, couldn't find it in herself to stand up for Beca. So Beca just shook her head, her face painted with incredulity. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, tested for how much more it could take before it finally gave out on her.

"Chloe…" she said softly, "are you sure you mean that?" Chloe's jaw dropped, she didn't know what to say to that, and the fact that Beca was looking like a broken puppy on an ASPCA commercial wasn't helping. Beca saw her speechlessness and continued.

"Look, I'm the last person to be lecturing you on love stuff, but I'm pretty sure that when you're in love with someone, you don't shut them out. And you defend them. You don't just stand by when bad things happen. I'm not saying what I did was right, but you know I'm not completely wrong here. And you just let Aubrey kick me out. You of all people know how much the Bellas mean to me." Beca explained. Chloe could practically see her walls going back up, each word a brick put back in place. She knew getting Beca back wasn't going to be easy, but she wasn't prepared for this…

"Becs…" Beca closed her eyes and sighed at the nickname.

"No, Chloe. You got your space, now I need mine. This…whatever this is, or was, it's over. You have no idea how much I needed you back there, and for a minute I thought you would be there for me, but - "

"Beca, please! I love you!" Chloe cut her off. "I am so sorry about what happened, I know I messed up, and if I could take it back – all of it – I would. In a heartbeat. I mean that."

"But you can't, Chloe. It's too late. People always disappoint you, and then they leave." Beca said in a defeated tone. Chloe hated the way sadness and pain flowed through Beca's words, hated that she put them there. Beca's continued use of her full name wasn't lost on her either. It was weird; Beca rarely used her full name. Unless, you know, she was screaming it in bed. Other than that she was always "Chlo" or "Babe" or sometimes even "Chlo-Bear" when Beca was feeling especially playful. God Chloe missed that. She missed that side of Beca, and every other side of Beca that only she got to see. The soft sides. The ones she had torn to pieces…but the same ones that she was determined to heal.

"No, Beca, I won't accept that. You're the best damn thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, and I was afraid to admit that at first, but now I'm not. You're all I think about, you're all I want. I hate not having you in my life. I hate not waking up to your kisses, not making breakfast with you and spending the day in bed, not kissing you good night…I hate all of that. I can be the girl you deserve. I know I wasn't before, and I will always hate myself for what I've done to you, but I am not giving you up without a fight, you'll see." Chloe's tone was adamant, her eyes shining with conviction. And love. Beca couldn't hold her gaze too long, otherwise she knew her walls would come crumbling down again and she wasn't ready for that. She also didn't trust her voice, didn't trust her words not to betray her. So she simply nodded, eyes filling with tears. Chloe stood up and pressed a quick kiss to Beca's cheek, pausing to wipe away the tears that had spilled out with the pad of her thumb. As soon as Chloe's lips had made contact with Beca's cheek, Beca's eyes had fallen shut. She was afraid if she opened them, she'd be lost in those baby blues that she loved so much. Afraid that she would lose herself.

"I'll make this up to you, I promise. I love you, Beca Mitchell. I will not lose you, and I'm not leaving. Not until you tell me to go." Chloe whispered, her lips ghosting over the shell of Beca's ear. Again, all Beca could do was nod. And again, all she wanted to do was forgive Chloe. Believe her. Tell her it was okay and then crawl into bed with her and fall asleep cuddling. But she couldn't, not yet. Her brain was keeping her heart on a leash this time around, and as much as her heart was pulling her towards Chloe, her brain was pulling back.

Chloe slowly stood up and let her hand fall from Beca's face, her fingertips lingering on Beca's cheek. It took all of Beca's willpower not to lean into the touch – damn heart. And with that, Chloe was gone. Beca opened her eyes to an empty room, gingerly rose from the chair, and swapped her tank top for a t-shirt that Chloe had left there a while back. A t-shirt that still smelled like Chloe. She crawled into bed, snuggled up into the t-shirt, and fell asleep hoping Chloe wouldn't disappoint her again.

Chloe walked out of Beca's dorm more determined than ever. Forget Jesse, Beca was still hers. She knew that now, she was positive. But she still had to earn Beca's trust back. And she didn't have the slightest idea of where to begin with that. She had never had to earn someone's trust back before. So she went to the one person who knew Beca best – Stacie. She knew Stacie would be at her apartment, so she steeled herself to apologize to Aubrey and fix their friendship before asking Stacie for help. She walked into her apartment and gingerly knocked on Aubrey's bedroom door.

"What do you want, Chloe?" Aubrey sounded tired and annoyed.

"Bree, I want to talk to you. Please?" Chloe pleaded, her voice still a little raspy from crying earlier. The desperation in Chloe's voice made Aubrey roll her eyes, she was still pissed, but Stacie swiftly pushed her out of bed.

"Go get dressed and fix things with your best friend." She admonished in a hushed tone, ignoring the way Aubrey was glaring at her. Aubrey had needed a little…stress relief, after their performance.

"SHE is the one that wanted that…ugh that HOBBIT in the Bellas. And SHE is the reason we aren't going to the ICCAs!" Aubrey whisper yelled, flailing her arms as she talked.

"Bree, I can hear you guys whispering. Please, I just…I want to apologize." Chloe spoke through the door, hopeful that her best friend wasn't too mad to fix things. Aubrey groaned and threw on a t-shirt and shorts before opening the bedroom door a crack and slipping out into the living room. She sunk into one of the armchairs and gestured for Chloe to speak.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you this weekend, and I'm sorry we lost. But Bree…you know I had to go after Beca. I knew you would forgive me, you're my best friend, but…I'm not so sure she will…" Chloe was sitting on the couch with her feet tucked under her, looking anywhere but at Aubrey.

"Chloe." Aubrey took a deep breath, "Damnit. I hate that girl. I hate her for screwing us up, I hate her for putting you in this position, and I hate her for being the reason you're hurting right now. All I wanted was to go back to the ICCAs so I could prove I'm not a total fuck-up, and now that's never going to happen. And I can't help but blame her for it. So I forgive you, and I'm sorry about what I said about Jesse and her hooking up…it was just a theory." Aubrey sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Thank you, Bree. I don't know where we'd be competition wise without her, but I don't think we'd exactly be better off. I do know, however, that she's the best damn thing that has ever happened to me. I love her, so much, and I'm the one who fucked that up. Twice. Not her. So please, please don't hate her. Who knows, maybe there's a chance we'll get back to the ICCAs after all." Chloe grabbed Aubrey's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, hoping against hope that she was right. Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose between the thumb and forefinger of the hand Chloe wasn't holding.

"You and your optimism, Chlo. I don't want to fight about the midget. I still don't think she's a Bella, and I still don't think she's good enough for you, but I just don't want to fight with you anymore." At Aubrey's words, Chloe stood up and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you, Bree, thank you for always protecting me. But it's me that's not good enough for her." Aubrey just squeezed Chloe back and remained silent. She looked up then and saw Stacie standing in the doorway of her bedroom, dressed in the same fashion she was, smiling at the pair. She pushed herself off the doorway, the noise alerting Chloe to her presence.

"Hey, Stacie!" Chloe turned and greeted cheerfully, her heart a little lighter now that things were mostly okay with Bree. Sure, they were still at odds on the whole Beca thing a bit, but they themselves were good. And that was all Chloe needed at the moment.

"Hey, Chlo. You seem happier." Stacie smiled, making her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Chloe turned back to Aubrey and squeezed her hand.

"Yeah, well, things are looking up a bit." Chloe smiled softly at Aubrey, the blonde smiling right back at her.

"What happened with Beca?" Stacie asked innocently, making her way back into the living room and taking up residence in the armchair Aubrey had just vacated. Chloe resumed her spot on the couch and Stacie pulled Aubrey down into her lap.

"I went to her dorm and waited for her…she wasn't happy to see me. But she let me in, listened to what I had to say, and didn't throw me out so that's progress…" Chloe looked very unsure of herself as she spoke.

"What did you say to her?" Chloe's eyebrows shot up in surprise at hearing Aubrey voice the question.

"Oh come on, Chlo, don't look at me like that. Just because I don't think she's good enough for you – ouch!" Stacie had poked her in the ribs a bit forcefully, leveling Aubrey with a glare. Aubrey glared back before turning her attention back to Chloe.

"As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," another glare, "was that I still care about you and I want to know about what's going on in your life." Aubrey finished, Chloe beaming at her.

"This is why I love you, Bree." Chloe stated. Stacie pulled Aubrey farther back into her arms and leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

"That's exactly why I love you, too." She tightened her arms around Aubrey's waist for a second as Aubrey blushed. They had said their "I love you's" a few days ago and it made Aubrey's stomach flip every time Stacie said it. Aubrey hadn't told Chloe, considering her current situation, so when the redhead cleared her throat in an obvious question, Aubrey's blush deepened.

"At least save the sexy talk for when I'm not around," Chloe joked.

"Sorry, Chlo. So, back to you. What happened?" Stacie saved Aubrey from having to collect herself that instant.

"Oh, right…so I told her I love her. Which wasn't exactly well received. She doesn't believe me. But I promised her I would fight for her. I have to win her back, I hate not being with her. It's killing me. But I don't know how. How do you earn someone's trust back? How do you fix something like this?" Chloe shook her head at herself, still slightly amazed that this was all her own doing. That she had messed everything up this badly. Stacie leaned forward a bit in her chair and smiled.

"I have the perfect plan."


	14. Chapter 14 - Not Broken, Just Bent

**A/N: Ok so 200 followers is pretty damn awesome. A little while back I told myself I would do something special if I hit that, so here it is. I'm going to do one shots based off of prompts from all you lovely people, you can submit ideas via PM. Good idea? Bad idea? Want something else? Let me know! Songs used are "Just Give Me A Reason" by P!nk and Nate Ruess, and "Lie In The Sound" by Tresspassers William**

Chloe walked up to Beca's dorm, coffee and bagels in hand. Step one of Stacie's plan was simple, she had to start with little things. She had to show Beca exactly how committed she was to her, to getting her back. So coffee and bagels was a good start. She had gotten Beca's favorite, black coffee and an everything bagel. Chloe took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Her face lit up as soon as Beca opened the door.

"Good morning!" Chloe felt all the air leave her lungs. Beca was standing there, clearly still half asleep, rubbing her eyes. She looked so adorable in that moment, Chloe could hardly handle it. All she wanted to do was wrap Beca up in her arms and never let her go.

"G'morning, Chlo." Beca yawned sleepily. She moved aside and let Chloe in.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Beca's brain seemed to finally wake up and she looked at Chloe, still sleepy but now also confused. If she got any cuter, Chloe thought she might combust.

"I brought you coffee and a bagel!" Chloe held up her gifts before setting them down on Beca's desk, far from her mixing equipment of course.

"Oh…um, thanks." Beca crawled back into bed, sitting up next to her desk and pulling the covers up to her chin. She poked one arm out and reached for her coffee, humming her approval as she took the first sip.

"Don't you have class soon?" Chloe asked, still standing by Beca's desk. She didn't really know what to do, or if Beca would let her stay…she really wanted to stay.

"Mm-canceled." Beca yawned again, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Oh, I didn't know that. Sorry, I'll let you get back to sleep. You seem really tired." Chloe picked up her coffee and turned towards the door. Beca had been up late mixing, Chloe knew that based on the cans of Redbull that were piled up in the trash can. That, and the fact that that was what Beca did every time one of her morning classes was canceled. Beca nodded and moved to lie down in bed. Chloe was sad to have to leave so soon, she really wanted to spend more time with Beca. She turned to make her way to the door when Beca stopped her.

"Chlo." Beca was holding the covers up, looking at Chloe through half lidded eyes. She blinked slowly a couple times, waiting for Chloe to make a decision. Chloe just smiled softly, walking back over to place her coffee on the desk and slip off her shoes. She carefully climbed into bed, lying down on her back next to Beca, who immediately latched onto her like a little koala. Chloe sighed contentedly and wrapped her arms around her little brunette, pulling her closer. She wanted to press a kiss to the top of Beca's head, the way she used to, but she wasn't sure what this meant and she didn't want to rush things. She was going to take whatever she could get, and she absolutely loved cuddling, so this was turning out to be a pretty damn great morning for her.

Beca nuzzled into Chloe's neck, breathing her in. She had missed the way Chloe smelled, just like vanilla and strawberries and a hint of coconut. She had also missed cuddling with the redhead, not that she would ever admit that to anyone. She wasn't exactly sure where they stood, but at that moment she didn't care. She knew she wasn't going to let Chloe waltz back into her life with just coffee and a bagel, but she also didn't want to fight her feelings for her anymore. She was getting tired of doing that. But she decided to figure it out later, instead letting the warmth of Chloe's body next to hers lull her back to sleep.

Beca woke up a few hours later, her body still fit tightly against Chloe's. She knew the redhead was still asleep by the even rise and fall of her chest. Beca sighed and closed her eyes again. She didn't want to get up and deal with reality. It was Monday; two days after Aubrey had kicked her out of the Bellas. Not that it mattered, since the Bellas were out of the running for the ICCAs anyway. She was grateful that her only class of the day had been canceled – it was a three-hour lecture and she wasn't sure she could have handled that today. She was still exhausted. Being up until 4 in the morning working on a mix hadn't really helped either, but she needed to lose herself for a while. Her body tensed up as her brain replayed the events of the last few weeks, and suddenly Chloe's arms didn't feel as safe as they had a few hours ago.

"I can hear you thinking, Becs." Chloe mumbled, not moving. Beca laughed awkwardly and sat up, running a hand through her hair and turning to look at Chloe over her shoulder. Chloe slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the sunlight that was peeking through Beca's blinds.

"Um, yeah." Beca said lamely, turning back to look at her hands in her lap. She didn't really know what to do, but right now she was just itching for the ginger to leave. She hated that it had come to this, that she didn't know how she felt about Chloe anymore. She knew that she loved her, but she just couldn't trust her like she used to. Not yet, anyway. Chloe sat up, sensing Beca's inner turmoil, and gently rubbed Beca's back with one hand.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay. This was a really nice morning." Chloe smiled softly and kissed Beca's cheek before getting out of bed and slipping her shoes on. Beca visibly relaxed, which twisted Chloe's insides but she kept her smile firmly in place. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, and she wasn't about to push Beca to go faster than she was ready for. This had already been a way better morning than she could have ever dreamed.

"Thanks for the coffee and bagel." Beca smiled a little, making Chloe's smile stretch wider.

"Any time, Becs. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Chloe winked before grabbing her now cold coffee and walking out the door. As soon as it clicked shut, Beca flopped back onto the bed. So Chloe was serious about working her way back into Beca's life. That made her smile. And Chloe seemed okay with taking it slow, which was good. That was just about all Beca could handle right now. She still couldn't see herself taking Chloe back though, the thought of putting herself out there again…it scared her to no end. So she pushed that question to the back of her mind, choosing instead to just see what happens with the redhead. She got out of bed and made her way to the showers, her shift at the station was starting in a little over an hour.

Chloe had slept through her morning class, but getting to spend time with Beca was so worth it. Besides, it was just finals review and she was acing the class anyway. But the thought of finals made her realize that winter break was coming up…that would be three weeks where she didn't see Beca. Three weeks was a long time…they still had two to go before that happened though, so she decided to focus on the rest of the plan that Stacie had named "Operation Woo Mitchell." Coffee and breakfast each morning was part one, and basically a given. Part two was going to be a bit trickier. She knew Beca had had her eye on a new pair of headphones, a particularly expensive pair that she definitely couldn't afford herself. The problem, though, was finding a store that actually had the aforementioned headphones. And scrounging up the money. She didn't exactly have $300 lying around. She had managed to come up with $200 after scrapping the Christmas present she was going to get for herself and digging through her whole apartment for loose change and hidden cash. Her next plan of action was to ask her brothers to lend her the cash – which she knew they would. Hell, they would probably just give it to her. They were both doing very well for themselves, having gotten solid jobs out of college that paid well. And her family was always close in that they shared their money when one of them needed help. They knew how much Beca meant to her – she had been talking to them more and more about the little DJ since she had come out to them. They were just excited to meet the girl that had, in their words, "flipped" their sister.

It wasn't that she was trying to buy Beca's trust, she knew that would never work. It was about showing Beca that she was paying attention and willing to put the brunette and her happiness before her own. She knew the headphones would make Beca happy, so she was going to get them for her. Hell, if it were a $3 bag of Cheetos or a $3,000 laptop, Chloe would do whatever it took to make Beca happy. Ok, well maybe not the laptop, because there was no way in hell she could afford something that expensive. But that was beside the point. She decided to call her brothers later that afternoon and just order the headphones online. She had a few more parts of the plan that she wanted to execute before winter break as well, and those were going to take up enough time without searching high and low for headphones.

Part three was going to be surprising Beca at work with takeout from the restaurant where they had their first date. Chloe knew it was a little cheesy, but she knew deep down it was the kind of thing Beca secretly loved. She would have to wait a few more days to do that, though. She could tell Beca had freaked out a little when they had woken up together, so she didn't want to crowd the brunette. Even though that went against every fiber of her being. She was a naturally bubbly person who just didn't understand boundaries, so this whole respecting Beca's boundaries was incredibly hard for her. But if that was what it took to get her back, Chloe would do it. Chloe would do just about anything. She was committed to making this work. She and Stacie were still working on the rest of the plan. First they needed to know how Beca would respond. So far, so good. Chloe just hoped things continued this way.

Chloe had scheduled her nodes removal surgery for Christmas break, since the Bellas were out of the ICCA competition this year anyway. She hadn't told anyone yet – she knew Bree would just freak out for no reason and make her more nervous than she already was. And she didn't want Beca to feel like she had to be there for her. Of course she wanted Beca there – she was terrified – but she couldn't ask that of the tiny brunette yet. She knew it would put Beca in an awkward position, because Beca obviously still loved her but she wasn't comfortable with her yet. So Chloe opted to keep everything quiet for now.

Chloe was sitting in her favorite coffee shop on campus working on a paper a little while later when Stacie plopped down in the armchair across from her.

"Hey Stace, what's up?" Chloe asked as she removed her earbuds. She and Stacie were friends, of course, but they didn't really hangout one on one very often. She knew Stacie was a great person, and that there was a lot more to her than met the eye, but that was mostly from hearing Beca talk about her.

"Hey, Chloe." Stacie beamed, "I just thought you might like to know that Beca has the day shift today, and she's on the air!" Stacie waved her phone in front of Chloe's face showing the radio station's app on the screen.

"No way!" Chloe bounced in her seat. Beca's boss, Luke, had taken a liking to her and trusted her on air during the night shift sometimes, but a day shift was something new entirely. She felt a twinge of sadness that Beca had texted Stacie and not her, but she brushed that aside and pulled up the app on her phone.

"How long has she been on?" Chloe asked, not looking up from her phone.

"Actually, she hasn't started yet. She just texted me saying Luke wasn't feeling well and she was taking over his afternoon show!" Stacie had briefly spoken to Beca before her shift had started, so she knew about what had happened this morning. She also knew of Beca's propensity to express her feelings through music, so she thought Chloe should listen to the show. Especially because Beca was probably betting that Chloe wouldn't be listening at all. Chloe tuned into the station just in time to hear Beca's voice drifting through her headphones.

"Good afternoon, Barden! This is DJ B Mitch and we're going to have another afternoon of music for the feels. Call in with your favorites! You're listening to WBUJ, music for the independent mind." Chloe loved listening to Beca on the radio – it kind of made her feel like she was dating a celebrity. Except she wasn't dating her. Right. Chloe bit her lip in anticipation of what Beca was going to play – whatever it was, it would surely reflect how she felt about this morning. Chloe knew just as well as Stacie did that music was Beca's emotional outlet. The DJ had proved that just last week during her last show that Chloe had caught. So an insight into where Beca's head was at was more than welcome right now, and this was the best way for Chloe to get it. Although having Stacie sit right across from her was less than ideal. But Stacie was helping her get Beca back after all, so Chloe couldn't really leave. Or hide anything from her. But this morning had gone so well that Chloe was optimistic, these would be good songs, happy love songs – or at least, kind of happy love songs. So when "Same Old Love" started playing, she felt like she had been sucker punched in the gut.

"You know how much she loves Selena Gomez." Stacie smiled apologetically.

"Just wait for the next one, I'm sure it'll be better." She reassured, reaching out to pat Chloe's hand. Chloe forced a smile and patiently waited for the end of the song, trying to focus on her paper while it played out.

 **Right from the start**

 **You were a thief**

 **You stole my heart**

 **And I your willing victim**

 **I let you see the parts of me**

 **That weren't all that pretty**

 **And with every touch you fixed them**

 **Now you've been talking in your sleep oh oh**

 **Things you never say to me oh oh**

 **Tell me that you've had enough**

 **Of our love, our love**

Chloe blew out a breath as "Just Give Me a Reason" started playing. That one was better. They weren't broken. That was the message she was going to take away from that. She was going to read into this one way more than "Same Old Love," because of course Beca meant this one more. It was like Stacie said, she just had a thing for Selena Gomez. Chloe knew that too. Selena Gomez was Beca's guilty pleasure – she loved the pop princess in spite of herself. Not very many people knew that, but Chloe did. The next few songs were like a rollercoaster – first there was Tove Lo's "Habits," so she missed Chloe? Maybe? That was good. Then came "50 Ways to Say Goodbye," by Train. Not good. But Beca brought her back up with a Dirty Dutch Visionaire remix of "Reason," by Nervo & Hook N Sling. Chloe felt like she was getting whiplash. It was like Beca couldn't make up her mind – did she want Chloe? Did she not? Chloe wasn't sure she should even be listening to the show, it seemed like Beca was trying to work out her feelings towards Chloe on-air. Her DJ name wasn't very cryptic, but you'd have to put a couple puzzle pieces together to know it was her. By the end of the show, Chloe was on the verge of tearing her hair out, because Beca had surely torn her heart out. Thank goodness the show was almost over.

"Alright guys, thanks for bearing with me on that emotional roller coaster," Ha. If Beca only knew. "Anyway, if you're still listening, here's the conclusion. This is DJ B Mitch signing off, you're listening to WBUJ, music for the independent mind." Huh, well that was a little cryptic. Conclusion? Chloe sat up a little straighter, gripping her phone tightly. Stacie had broken out her laptop and was trying to study and be there for Chloe as Beca unknowingly tugged on her heartstrings. Stacie's green eyes snapped up to Chloe's, both of them waiting with baited breath to see what Beca would play. Somehow they had both realized this was entirely directed at Chloe, that Beca was hoping she would hear this, even if Beca didn't know it herself. Now all that remained was to find out what Beca's conclusion was.

 **I love you more than I should**

 **So much more than is good for me**

 **More than is good**

Chloe didn't know this song, so she just stared at Stacie to see her reaction. Apparently Stacie didn't know it either, and the next few lyrics didn't exactly give her a clue as to where Beca was going with this…

 **Oh, the timing is cruel**

 **Oh, I need and don't want to need**

 **More than I should**

 **I am falling, say my name**

 **And I'll lie in the sound**

 **What is love but whatever**

 **My heart needs a round**

What did that mean? What was Beca saying? It reminded Chloe of one of Beca's favorite quotes – one that was just so Beca – "Music was my refuge, I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to the loneliness." It was a Maya Angelou quote, and Beca's next tattoo. Chloe almost couldn't take it – if this was Beca's way of breaking up with her for good, of telling her to get out of her life…

 **Oh, my sheet is so thin**

 **So I say I can't sleep because**

 **It's so very cold**

 **But I know what I need**

 **And if you were just near to me**

 **Would you go?**

Maybe Beca was asking her if she was going to leave again. Chloe had told her she wasn't going anywhere, but she knew it wasn't going to be that simple. Beca still didn't trust her.

 **I am falling, say my name**

 **And I'll lie in the sound**

 **What is love but whatever**

 **My heart needs a round**

 **I am falling, say my name**

 **And I'll lie in the sound**

 **What is love but whatever**

 **My heart needs a round**

 **And it needs you too much now**

Chloe slumped back into her chair in relief. The last line was all she needed. Because it meant that Beca needed her. Stacie was smiling at her softly from across the table, having clearly reached the same conclusion. That made Chloe feel even better.

"That was an interesting hour." Stacie commented, leaning forward on the table.

"Ha," Chloe squeaked before clearing her throat – she had gotten a little choked up listening to the last song.

"She wasn't kidding when she said emotional roller coaster. But Stace…she still loves me, right? Because if I lost her…" Chloe's eyes started to fill with tears, suddenly not so sure of herself and what Beca meant by that last song.

"Yes, Chlo, she still loves you. She needs you, didn't you hear that last song? You know Beca, you know how much she hates relying on people. It's going to be hard for her to admit to you that she needs you, though. She probably convinced herself you weren't listening and that's why she played the songs she did. But that was the hard part, her admitting it to herself. Just follow my plan and don't tell her you heard the show today." Stacie's voice was full of confidence – she knew Beca well at this point and she was sure Beca had decided to take Chloe back. Chloe simply nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes before they could fall. Her smile slipped back onto her face and stayed there.

Beca sighed as she walked out of the studio. Luke had called out sick and asked her to pick up the afternoon show until he could get someone else to cover. She was really excited to get an afternoon show, and thought about playing some of her mixes, but settled on some tried and true popular stuff instead. Before she even knew it, she had assembled a playlist that had her heart going up and down like a yoyo. She wasn't sure how she felt about her morning with Chloe. Judging by the playlist that now sat in front of her, she was confused. On one hand, she didn't want to admit how much she missed the redhead. How much she needed her. On the other hand, that's exactly what she did. The songs bounced back and forth like a tennis match. She knew she probably shouldn't be doing this on air, but the only person who knew she had a shift was Stacie. Chloe most likely wasn't even listening. So Beca decided to let the set play through, spending her hour searching for a closing song. It wasn't so much a song as a decision. Beca wanted to figure out what she wanted from Chloe, where they were going. She wasn't just going to lead Chloe on if she couldn't find it in herself to trust the older girl again. And as much as she wanted to solve the puzzle that was her heart, she just couldn't. She knew she needed Chloe, but what did that mean? She had needed her father, he had left, and she had put herself back together. She found the perfect song and resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to make much more progress on her puzzle for the day.


	15. Chapter 15 - No Sex on the Desk

**A/N: Reminder: Taking suggestions for one shots via PM! Let me know what you want to see! Thanks for all the great reviews, keep 'em coming! I love reading them :)**

Four days later, Beca still couldn't make up her mind. Chloe had brought her breakfast every day – always something different form the day before, always one of Beca's favorites. Chloe knew her well. Too well. And as much as Beca loved that, it also scared the living hell out of her. She used to love how well they knew each other – how they always knew what to order for each other, how they were always on the same page. Except for The Incident. They were clearly not on the same page there. And before The Incident, Beca would have loved that Chloe was trying so hard and being sweet. But now knew that as amazing as it was being with Chloe, that's exactly how much it hurt being without her. Beca was certain she had come dangerously close to dying from a broken heart. While she was **far** from being over Chloe, like farther than Pluto is from the sun, the physical pain she had felt in her chest – the kind that felt like her heart was literally breaking – that had finally subsided. There was still a dull throb that got worse every time the redhead was near, but she was learning to deal with that. The feeling of her heart breaking though, that one was what was giving Beca pause in her decision to take the redhead back. She never wanted to feel that feeling again, she hadn't even thought that much pain was possible from a simple breakup. But Chloe had done it, Chloe had destroyed her. Somehow she knew, too, that Chloe was the only person capable of causing such catastrophic damage to her fragile little heart. To everyone else, Beca was tough as nails, but that was just her walls doing all the talking. Behind those walls was really a huge softy – one that Chloe had coaxed out and then sucker punched. She had taken Beca's heart in her hands and ripped it to pieces – tossed it into a blender and fed it back to her with a bendy straw. So yeah, Beca wasn't exactly sure she wanted to give anyone that kind of power over her again. Ever. Even though she knew Chloe was the only person who could really fix her – ironic, isn't it? The one person who destroyed her was still the one person she needed most to make everything better. But that would give Chloe the power to do it again, and Beca wasn't sure she could handle that. It was risky, extremely risky. And terrifying. But somehow oddly…calming. The thought of letting Chloe put her back together, letting her soothe Beca's wounds, kiss her broken heart and make it better. Beca knew Chloe would treat her like one of those Japanese bowls – the ones that are broken and put back together, the seams highlighted with gold paint to highlight the imperfection and the fact that just because it broke doesn't mean it can't be beautiful and whole again. Because Chloe wasn't the kind of person to just pretend things didn't happen – Chloe was already acknowledging her mistake and trying to get Beca to move past it. Trying to get them to move past it together. But then maybe she was like the song she played the other day – not broken, just bent. She could learn to love again. But could she learn to love Chloe again?

Her brain was spinning in circles, it had been for days, chewing over the same thoughts again and again, making decisions and unmaking them, flip-flopping from confident and brave to unsure and scared. She was in the middle of yet another internal battle, headphones securely blocking out the world while blaring music she couldn't hear over her own thoughts, when she ran into her very own Helen of Troy. The face that launched a thousand ships in the war between her head and her heart, which still stopped every time the redhead graced her with her presence.

"Hey, Becs!" Chloe greeted cheerfully as soon as Beca removed her headphones. While Chloe was naturally cheerful, Beca knew she was trying really hard to keep a positive attitude around her – even Chloe had her normal human moments sometimes where the cheerfulness would fade and she would just…be. Not unhappy, but just relaxed. It was one of Beca's favorite sides of Chloe, because in a way Chloe's cheerfulness acted as her own walls. Don't get her wrong, Beca loved all the different sides of Chloe, but just how the redhead had loved taking Beca's walls down, Beca had also loved sneaking past Chloe's walls. It had been much easier for the younger girl, and much more subtle of a process. Beca had hardly noticed it happening and hadn't really appreciated the full weight of it until The Incident – until Chloe shut her out. And now, the smile Chloe was giving Beca, it was one of those smiles where Beca could see how hard she was trying.

Beca gave Chloe a small but genuine smile and returned the greeting. The two were standing outside the radio station, a few minutes before Beca's usual Friday night shift.

"Whatcha got there, Red?" Chloe grinned at the nickname – sure, it wasn't one of Beca's nicknames for her in the past, but she was going to take whatever she could get. Anything was better than Beca constantly calling her Chloe, she couldn't handle that. She hadn't gotten to spend much time with Beca after that morning they had spent cuddling and napping together – no more canceled classes and no Bellas rehearsals. So 20 minutes a day was about all they had managed, and Chloe missed Beca like crazy. She knew the younger girl was busy though, since finals were coming up and everything. Hell, she was insanely busy herself, but Beca came before literally anything else. The all nighter she had pulled last night was evidence of that – she wanted nothing more than to go home and nap, but finals were next week and she wouldn't have a chance to bring Beca dinner since her shifts were over for the semester as of tonight. Chloe also didn't want to interrupt Beca's study time – even though the aspiring music producer didn't want to be in college, she was crazy smart and working hard to ace all her classes.

Chloe held up the bag of food in her hand and turned it so Beca could read the name printed on the side. Beca felt her throat tighten for a second – it was from the Chinese place that she had taken Chloe to on their first date. She quickly caught herself before her face gave anything away – she wasn't sure if that was because she didn't want the redhead to know how much she still affected her or if she didn't want to ruin the current good mood, but either way, she didn't want to let on to the way thinking of that night made her feel. Beca was pretty sure she had started falling in love with Chloe that night, as ridiculous as that sounds, and that every subsequent day and night spent together only served to make her fall deeper and deeper. So when she looked back up into the baby blue orbs she had fallen so deep into, she wasn't surprised to see the twinkle in them die a little. Beca had been stupid to think she could play it cool with Chloe, Chloe who knew her better than anyone. She had watched Beca swallow the tightness in her throat, watched the emotions flicker across Beca's face, watched the walls go up a little higher around her heart. Chloe's jaw clenched involuntarily in frustration, not at Beca but at herself. Frustration that she had messed things up so badly that this was where they were at, this was how far she had let things deteriorate. Instead of giving in to her frustrations though, Chloe forced another smile, one that barely reached her eyes.

"I thought you might be hungry." She twirled the bag a little, hoping Beca would invite her to stay and have dinner with her. Beca didn't miss the way Chloe's smile had faltered, and the flash in her eyes at Beca's reaction. She wasn't quite sure what it was though, she was having trouble getting a read on Chloe lately. And she hated that. She hated not knowing what the redhead was thinking, or how she was feeling. She hated seeing the longing in Chloe's eyes whenever she looked at Beca, or the hurt whenever Beca pulled away from a hug a little earlier than she normally would have. She hated it because she wanted to make it go away, she wanted to make Chloe happy again, but she couldn't. Her heart was firmly attached to it's leash, the one held in place by her brain, and as much as it tugged and tugged her brain just couldn't let go. As much as she loved Chloe, she couldn't trust her yet. But she thought she might be getting there…she wanted to get there. For Chloe. For herself, but also for Chloe. Part of her knew exactly how fucked up that was, subjugating her own pain to make Chloe's go away. That part of her, manifesting in a tiny (okay, tinier) little Beca sitting on her shoulder, wouldn't stop screaming in her ear how much Chloe had hurt her. The other part of her, also a tiny Beca on her other shoulder wouldn't stop whispering all the promises and sweet nothings Chloe had ever told her. Beca wished she had a fly swatter at that moment, she wanted to crush them both. Chloe cleared her throat and Beca realized she had gotten lost in thought, and was now glaring at her shoulder where angry tiny Beca was supposedly sitting. Beca's eyes snapped up to Chloe's and she blushed immediately, feeling a little foolish.

"Thanks, Chlo, I'm starving. I didn't really have time to eat today." Beca admitted sheepishly with a small smile.

"I figured as much, you're horrible at feeding yourself." Chloe joked, still anxious to know if Beca would ask her to stay.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Mom." Beca poked her tongue out at Chloe, who giggled at the gesture and swatted Beca's arm. Beca grinned back at her, both girls visibly relaxing as the tension dissipated.

"Looks like you have enough to feed a small army there, Red. Come on, let's go see how much of it we can get through." Beca held the door to the station open for Chloe, following closely behind her. Beca found her eyes drifting down Chloe's body, stopping to focus on her perfectly shaped ass. Damn, Beca missed that ass. She missed everything about Chloe, but her banging body was on full display today in a tight long sleeve shirt and jeans that hugged every curve. She bit her lip as she remembered all of the things Chloe would do to her, getting lost in thought yet again, eyes still glued to Chloe's ass. She was so wrapped up in a particular memory of what the redhead could do with her tongue that she didn't have time to catch herself as Chloe stopped and turned around, running straight into the older girl. Beca lost her balance but Chloe saved her with an arm around her waist. The two wound up pressed flush against one another, and Beca's breath hitched as she looked up to find Chloe's face only inches from her own. Her eyes flicked down to Chloe's lips and back up only to find Chloe's eyes on her own lips. Chloe's vanilla and strawberry scent was overwhelming, and Beca felt like she couldn't breathe. Suddenly Beca surged forward, crashing her lips into Chloe's and gripping her waist firmly with both hands. Chloe responded immediately, threading a hand through Beca's hair, pulling her deeper into the kiss. Beca had missed kissing Chloe, missed the way she tasted and how her lips felt moving against Beca's own. Considering how many times she had caught Chloe staring at her mouth lately, Beca knew she felt the same way. Beca moaned into Chloe's mouth as Chloe's hand tightened in her hair. Chloe took the opportunity to slip her tongue into Beca's mouth, caressing Beca's tongue and savoring the feeling. Beca moaned again and Chloe pushed her back against the table, pressing herself closer to the brunette. Her hand slipped from Beca's hair until both hands were resting on her hips, and Chloe lowered them even farther to lift Beca onto the desk without breaking the kiss. Beca gasped as Chloe set her on the desk and positioned herself between Beca's legs, pulling the other girl back into her. Chloe smirked against Beca's mouth and pulled away only to reattach her lips to Beca's neck without missing a beat. Beca's hand had since found its way into Chloe's hair and her hand fisted in fiery red locks as Chloe bit down on a particularly sensitive spot in a manner that was sure to leave a mark. Beca's hips rolled against Chloe's, the older girl responding by pulling Beca tighter against her. The motion was futile, since there was exactly zero space between them, but Chloe couldn't care less. She was so lost in Beca – her smell, her taste, her touch – and Beca was equally as lost in Chloe that neither of them heard the door to the booth open until Luke cleared his throat. Beca jumped and Chloe backed away a bit, keeping one hand on Beca's waist. Beca's hands retreated to rest on her own thighs as she turned to look at the Brit.

"Jesus, finally. Becky has been moping around here for too long. Good to see you, Chloe. Now no sex on the desk." Luke pointed at the pair with mock seriousness. He had caught them making out in the station several times before and never really cared much, he just liked to tease them about it. Especially because of his no sex on the desk rule. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed a CD off the nearest shelf and walked back into the booth. Beca was as red as a tomato and looked mortified, which was her reaction every single time, and Chloe had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Beca saw the twinkle in her eyes and smacked her arm.

"Dude! Not funny! I just…he just…ugh!" She buried her face in her hands and shook her head.

"I will never get used to him catching us." Beca mumbled, face still covered by her hands. It was then that she seemed to realize what she had said and she looked up at Chloe with wide eyes. Chloe was just smiling at her softly, all the mirth gone from her eyes and replaced with love. Beca referring to them as an "us" had put her over the moon. Beca just blinked a couple times and shook her head again, preferring to not discuss that particular slip up. But she knew, at that moment, that she could learn to trust Chloe again. She didn't know how long it would take or what it would take to make it happen, but she just knew they would be an "us" again. Chloe opted not to press her on that either, because again this evening was turning out to be much better than she had imagined. She had been going a little crazy without being able to touch Beca, and she had definitely forgotten how talented Beca was with her mouth. Well, not forgotten, because that was impossible, but whatever she remembered didn't hold a candle to the real thing. Kissing Beca Mitchell was like an out of body experience for her.

"So…food?" Chloe reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Beca's ear as she spoke. Beca hummed her agreement and leaned into the touch ever so slightly, just enough to make Chloe's hand pause and her thumb to brush against Beca's cheek before she let go. Beca hopped off the desk as Chloe began to unpack the food – yet again, she had gotten all of Beca's favorites. Beca's mind replayed the last five minutes as Chloe set up dinner – luckily, there weren't many CDs out of place for Beca to stack at the moment. She found herself out of breath again at merely remembering how Chloe's lips had felt on her neck. It was honestly a miracle she hadn't died at that moment, with Chloe wrapped around her. It was a miracle she didn't die every time Chloe touched her. The redhead just _did_ things to her. And Beca was getting really sick of fighting that, fighting how in love she was with Chloe. How much she needed her. For what felt like the umpteenth time that day, Chloe pulled her out of her thoughts, but this time with a kiss to her cheek. Chloe half expected Beca to flinch or stiffen, she was sure that she was starting to push things a little. To her surprise though, Beca did neither. She simply smiled and let her pull her towards a chair.

"Thanks, Chlo. This looks delicious." Beca crossed her legs as she spoke, and her left foot brushed against Chloe's leg. In another big surprise to the redhead, Beca didn't move it away, she just left her foot resting lightly against the outside of Chloe's calf. She didn't even look up from where she had begun to dig into their food, acting as if everything were normal and this happened all the time. Which it used to, there was rarely a time when Beca and Chloe were together and not touching in some small way. Chloe felt her heart beat faster in her chest, unable to control her excitement at how comfortable Beca was getting with her again. Beca, on the other hand, was trying to quell the badass bats that were freaking the fuck out in her stomach. She knew Chloe wanted her back, obviously, but somehow she still felt a little like she was on a first date or something. Like she had a reason to be nervous. But then she looked up and her eyes locked on Chloe's and all the nervousness melted away. It really was turning out to be just like their first date. They talked endlessly about nothing and everything, neither of them remembering that Beca was supposed to be working.

* * *

Luke had been watching the two from his spot inside the booth – he had heard from a few of the Bellas what had happened between their captain and the freshman and he was legitimately glad to see them working things out. Beca's depression and heartbreak had been palpable for the last few weeks and he had begun to miss the snarky comments and biting wit which were so very characteristic of her. He would just make Jesse stack the extra CDs tomorrow – that kid kind of got on his nerves anyway. After two and a half hours of Beca doing absolutely no work, he decided to just kick her out.

"Becky, seeing as you're not working anyway, get out of here." Luke enjoyed making his freshmen interns squirm, especially Beca, so his tone was bored and commanding. Beca looked up at him like a deer in the headlights with her mouth open, unsure of how to reply. She looked at the time on her phone and jumped up from her seat.

"Oh shit, Luke I'm so sorry, I just totally lost track of time and – " Beca rambled, walking over to another table piled high with CDs. She frantically started sorting them into piles to be stacked when Luke walked over to her and grabbed her hands, removing them from the piles and placing them firmly by her sides. Beca just stared at him dumbly, not having a clue what he was doing.

"Becky, I was serious, leave. I'll make Jesse do it in the morning." Luke reassured her, giving a gentle push towards Chloe who was trying to suppress a grin. Chloe and Luke had known each other for quite some time and had always been friendly with one another, if not quite friends, so she knew he was trying to do her a favor.

"Uhh…are you sure? I totally didn't mean to…you know…" Beca gestured awkwardly to Chloe and the table where their empty takeout containers were scattered. Luke just chuckled.

"It's fine, go have fun. I'll see you later." Luke threw a wink Chloe's way before turning around and re-entering the booth. Chloe let her smile to spread across her face, pleased with the opportunity to have Beca all to herself for the night. That was, until she saw Beca's face, wrought with stress and discomfort. Chloe got up immediately and ran her hands along Beca's arms.

"Becs, what's wrong?" Beca just looked at her and frowned.

"I don't know…I've never bailed on a shift before and I don't want Luke to hate me and I just feel like I should have been more responsible…" Beca looked to the side as she spoke, eyeing the stacks of CDs that had yet to be put away.

"Hey, it's okay, I know Luke. He wouldn't have told you to leave if he didn't mean it. You know he yells when he's angry or pissed off, so you have nothing to worry about." Chloe gently squeezed Beca's shoulders, hoping the brunette would find comfort in her words. Beca looked back at Chloe and seemed to relax a bit.

"Yeah, that's true…" She sighed, still feeling guilty about slacking off for so long. But she worked really hard most of the time, at least as hard as one can work at stacking CDs. Beca bit her lip as she thought about the last two hours with Chloe – it had been exactly like old times, before The Incident. So obviously Beca's gut instinct was to run before something happened to ruin the night.

"So, do you want to get out of here?" Chloe looked so hopeful it almost broke Beca's heart, but she was too scared of losing the redhead again.

"Um, I, uh, I've gotta go work on a mix." Beca mumbled, hardly meeting Chloe's eyes. She knew she would get sucked in by those baby blues the moment she held Chloe's gaze too long. So she stepped out of reach and started cleaning up the empty takeout containers that littered the table. Chloe just stood there feeling like she had been sucker punched – things had gone really well that night, so well in fact that Chloe had deluded herself into thinking she had gotten Beca back. That the brunette was letting her walls down, letting Chloe back in, but she had been wrong. Beca's walls were very firmly in place and Chloe couldn't figure out what she had done wrong. She wanted to cry, get on her knees and beg Beca to take her back, scream in frustration, anything to let out the storm of emotions that was brewing inside her. Instead, she started to help Beca clean up the containers and followed the younger girl out of the studio without a word. The wheels in her head were spinning faster than ever, and she knew it was time for the pièce de résistance. She wasn't letting Beca get away tonight, because she had gotten through those walls, however brief it had been. She had to fix whatever she had done to make them go back up in the last ten minutes. She had to get Beca back, once and for all. It wasn't that she was getting impatient, or that she didn't think Beca was worth the wait – there was no one more worth it in the whole world. It was just that Chloe **knew** Beca. She knew things wouldn't go back to normal immediately if she succeeded tonight but she also knew that if she let Beca shut her out tonight then getting back past Beca's walls again would be next to impossible. So Chloe was going to succeed, end of story.

Chloe was lost in thought the whole walk back to Beca's dorm, leaving the younger girl to fret over whether or not she should kiss Chloe good bye, if she was making a mistake tonight, or if she was making a mistake in general. She wanted to take Chloe back, so badly, but there was still that small part of her that couldn't let her do it. So Beca remained silent the whole way back too, and to Beca's surprise, she gave Beca a quick kiss on the cheek before turning towards her own dorm, cell phone in hand, clearly texting someone who wasn't Beca. Beca just stared at her as she left, completely baffled. Had she screwed up tonight? Was Chloe suddenly over her? Her brain was overloaded with questions and she could feel the panic rising in her chest. She wanted to chase after her captain but instead she spun on her heels and ran up to her dorm room. Kimmy Jin was out, which left Beca free to collapse on her bed in tears. She didn't want to lose Chloe, and she felt like that was exactly what had happened tonight. Beca's tears quickly dried up though, they usually did, and she got off her bed to pour herself into a mix. It was the only way to truly distract herself – that is, until she found herself working with "Just The Way You Are." Beca sighed in defeat and kept working with the song, determined to make the perfect mash-up and get the song out of her head.

Chloe walked away from Beca full of determination. She knew the brunette would spend the rest of her night mixing in her room, so this was the perfect opportunity. She pulled out her phone as soon as she was a few feet away and texted Stacie.

 **Chloe Beale (9:37PM): Part 3 of Operation Woo Mitchell is a go.**


	16. Ch 16 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

**A/N: Alright please note I am musically challenged so if these songs can't actually be transitioned from one to the other, forgive me. Longest chapter yet!**

* * *

Stacie bounced up and down in her seat as she read Chloe's text, only stopping to explain her excitement when her seat started complaining.

"Stace what the hell are you doing?" Aubrey groaned. The two had been cuddled up on the couch, Stacie in Aubrey's lap, watching a movie when Chloe's text had come in.

"Sorry Bree, but Chloe just texted me! Part 4 is tonight!" Stacie squealed with excitement and clapped her hands. Chloe had come up with Part 4 on her own after Beca's radio show but had quickly enlisted Stacie's help. Aubrey rolled her eyes, earning herself a smack on the arm.

"Don't be like that, you know she makes Chloe happy. And she's my best friend, so I want her to be happy, too. Chloe makes her happy." Stacie's tone was serious and Aubrey immediately felt bad.

"I know, I know. I promised I would separate my aca-feelings towards her from our relationship and my and Chloe's friendship and I will. I mean, I am. We're good. I'm happy for Chloe." Aubrey's face softened as she spoke and Stacie could tell she meant every word. Aubrey still had qualms about Beca but had improved a lot and Stacie knew she was trying. Stacie gave her a quick peck on the lips before springing off the couch and pulling Aubrey up with her.

"I'll text the Bellas, get ready to go!" Stacie grinned before turning her attention to her phone. Aubrey sighed again and turned to throw on something warmer only to have her ass swatted by Stacie.

"Hurry up!" Stacie winked at her before turning to grab her own hoodie. Her girlfriend had come a long way, as in she no longer foamed at the mouth whenever Beca's name was brought up, and her agreeing to take part in Chloe's pla had been huge. It wouldn't have been easy to pull this off without her. Stacie smiled to herself, pleased at how well things were going. She had a great best friend in Beca, an absolutely incredible girlfriend, and a tight-knit group of friends in the Bellas. And now Chloe was going to get Beca back and everything was going to be right in the world again. She really couldn't wait to start being able to talk to Beca about Aubrey and all the cute things the blonde did for her, even though Beca would probably make some gagging noises and less than complimentary comments towards the blonde. Stacie didn't care, they would work on that in time, she just wanted her best friend happy again. And Chloe, because a sad Chloe was like a sad puppy – completely and utterly heartbreaking. So it was safe to say Stacie was a little less than patient at the moment.

"Bree! Let's go! I told all the girls to be there in ten minutes!" Stacie yelled, dying to get the show on the road.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Aubrey grumbled as she walked out of her room. Stacie quickly grabbed her hand and tugged her out the door, practically sprinting to Beca's dorm. But not without a quick make out session in the elevator first, of course.

* * *

About five minutes later they found Chloe pacing outside Beca's dorm looking extremely nervous.

"Hey, Chlo!" Aubrey greeted cheerfully, earning herself a curious glance from Stacie. Chloe turned towards the pair, wringing her hands.

"Hey, Bree, Stacie. Thanks for coming…" Chloe kept stealing glances towards Beca's third floor window and shuffling her feet. Aubrey had never seen Chloe this nervous before, or nervous at all. The bubbly ginger was normally the epitome of confidence.

"Chloe…Chloe…CHLOE BEALE." Aubrey grabbed Chloe's hands and yanked them down to her sides, keeping a firm grip on them and effectively rooting her to the spot.

"Chloe listen to me. You have nothing to be nervous about, the midget loves you. After she sees this, she will have no choice but to get her head out of her ass and take you back. Everything will go perfect, you'll be great, and you'll sweep her off her feet. Understood?" General Posen had made an appearance, and Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. She needed Aubrey to take charge sometimes, especially in the rare instances when her nervousness got the better of her.

"Yup. Got it." Chloe nodded vigorously. Just then the rest of the Bellas arrived, conveniently all at once, and Chloe went to review the plan with them one last time. Stacie pulled Aubrey in for a quick kiss. General Posen did things to her.

"You're a good friend, Bree." She whispered against Aubrey's lips.

"Hmm well if that's what I get every time I'm a good friend, I'll just have to keep it up." Aubrey smirked against Stacie's lips and then stepped back, her face contorted in horror.

"What, what's wrong babe?" Stacie took a step towards the blonde, cupping her face with her hands. Aubrey looked like she had seen a ghost and it was freaking Stacie out.

"Ughhh damn it, Mitchell is rubbing off on me. That stupid smirk." Aubrey groaned, slumping her shoulders in defeat.

"Aww, I think it's cute when you smirk." Stacie replied, a smirk of her own gracing her features.

"Stacie Conrad I will smack that smug look right off your face." Aubrey pointed a finger in Stacie's face, only half meaning it.

"Ooh, as fun as that sounds we're going to have to wait to try that later." Stacie stole another kiss and winked before pulling her captain over to the other girls. Aubrey just huffed and followed, trying to control the fantasies that were running rampant through her brain at that moment. They were definitely going to return to that topic later.

"Are we all ready to go?" Stacie asked, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. She had always wanted to do something like this, and she was hoping Beca would get the references from the countless movie nights the Bellas captains had demanded she attend in the past few months (Chloe's pout had done most of the work, if they were being honest). The girls nodded, Chloe being the last to do so, and they all got in position.

* * *

Beca was in the middle of a mix when she saw her phone flash beside her. She picked it up and was relieved to see Stacie's name on the screen – the leggy brunette had been incredibly supportive these past few weeks and Beca honestly didn't know what she would have done without her. She hadn't been mixing long and wasn't too keen on stopping, but if Stacie wanted to hang out she would manage to pull herself away. She slipped her headphones around her neck and reached for her phone, pausing as she heard a tapping at her window. Assuming it was nothing, she picked up her phone and read the text from Stacie. She was just inquiring as to Beca's whereabouts. Beca sent a quick text back and was about to put her headphones back on when she heard another tap at her window, followed by another and another. That was a little odd, so she walked over and opened the window, poking her head out. Her face contorted in surprise and confusion when she saw the Bellas gathered outside, headed by Chloe who was wearing a beige trench coat and holding up a boom box. She watched Chloe take a deep breath and then start to sing, still holding the boom box.

 **So she said what's the problem baby?**

 **What's the problem I don't know**

 **Well maybe I'm in love (love)**

 **Think about it every time**

 **I think about it**

 **Can't stop thinking 'bout it**

Beca's jaw dropped as the Bellas recreated the song perfectly. Not only was Chloe serenading her, but the Bellas were doing something contemporary and were totally killing it.

 **How much longer will it take to cure this**

 **Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (love)**

 **Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love**

Chloe put the boom box down now – Beca knew she worked out but damn those things were heavy and she was impressed Chloe had held it up for that long.

 **Come on, come on**

 **Turn a little faster**

 **Come on, come on**

 **The world will follow after**

 **Come on, come on**

 **Cause everybody's after love**

 **So I said I'm a snowball running**

 **Running down into the spring that's coming all this love**

Chloe threw her a cheeky wink to that line and the double entendre wasn't lost on Beca. The smile that had slowly been forming on her face widened just a bit more.

 **Melting under blue skys**

 **Belting out sunlight**

 **Shimmering love**

 **Well baby I surrender**

 **To the strawberry ice cream**

 **Never ever end of all this love**

 **Well I didn't mean to do it**

 **But there's no escaping your love…**

Chloe pointed up at her as the Bellas executed some pretty damn good choreography – choreography that didn't look like it had come from the 1970s. Even Aubrey was getting really into it, and Beca had to say they looked absolutely fantastic. Which may have had a lot to do with the fact that Chloe had organized the whole thing and was totally pulling a Romeo and Juliet move under her window. Her jaw dropped again when they seamlessly transitioned into another one of her favorite songs.

 **This thing called love I just can't handle it**

 **this thing called love I must get round to it**

 **I ain't ready**

 **Crazy little thing called love**

Queen. The Bellas were singing Queen. Chloe, specifically, was killing it with her Freddie Mercury impression. Beca wasn't sure she had ever been more attracted to Chloe than in this moment. With each word the redhead sang, she felt the bricks of the wall around her heart come tumbling down. She had run tonight, like she always does, but Chloe had chased her yet again. And had talked Aubrey into letting the Bellas learn something that wasn't from the 80s – and she **knew** how hard that must have been alone.

 **This (This Thing) called love**

 **(Called Love)**

 **It cries (Like a baby)**

 **In a cradle all night**

 **It swings (Woo Woo)**

 **It jives (Woo Woo)**

 **It shakes all over like a jelly fish,**

 **I kinda like it**

 **Crazy little thing called love**

The way Chloe was looking at Beca right know was honestly kind of killing her. She wanted to run downstairs and tackle the redhead, pepper her face with kisses, and never let her go again. (Keep in mind that Beca Mitchell, BADASS Beca Mitchell, doesn't do cute things like "pepper faces in kisses." That was all the effect of that damn playful kitten of a girlfriend she'd had.) Well, she would briefly let her go, but only to drag her up to her room. They had a lot of lost time for which they needed to make up.

 **There goes my baby**

 **She knows how to Rock n' roll**

 **She drives me crazy**

 **She gives me hot and cold fever**

 **Then she leaves me in a cool cool sweat**

Chloe was acting out the song so well, Beca couldn't tear her eyes away. She wouldn't have even known the other Bellas were still there had it not been for their incredible backup singing. She didn't dare leave her window for fear of missing something.

 **II gotta be cool relax, get hip**

 **Get on my track's**

 **Take a back seat, hitch-hike**

 **And take a long ride on my motor bike**

 **Until I'm ready (Ready Freddie)**

 **Crazy little thing called love**

Beca was about to step back and race downstairs when the Bellas transitioned yet again into another song. The songs they had picked were so different, Beca was seriously impressed with who had done the transitions. She knew who had picked the songs. Chloe, obviously. But if the redhead had done the transitions, too, well then. That was just going to be another item on the list of Chloe Beale's hidden talents. Not to mention another item on the list of things that make Chloe Beale irresistibly sexy. Beca had added numerous items to both lists, and they were **long.**

 **It's been said and done**

 **Every beautiful thought's been already sung**

 **And I guess right now here's another one**

 **So your melody will play on and on, with the best of 'em**

Beca had a moment of panic where she wondered if Chloe had been listening to her afternoon show earlier that week, Love You Like A Love Song is the perfect counter to Same Old Love. She decided it didn't really matter, pushing the thought to the back of her mind to ask Chloe about later. It wasn't like Chloe didn't know about Selena Gomez being her guilty pleasure anyway. But hearing Chloe sing the song, her voice and the emotion behind it, was enough to make Beca forget Selena Gomez had sung it first.

 **You are beautiful, like a dream come alive, incredible**

 **A centerfold, a miracle, lyrical**

 **You've saved my life again**

 **And I want you to know baby**

Chloe was singing to her like she meant every word, and it was doing things to Beca. She wasn't sure why, but somehow this was it. This was the push Beca needed, she was ready to let Chloe back in again. Of course, things wouldn't immediately go back to the way they were. It would be a gradual rebuilding of their relationship, but now Beca was ready to start doing that.

 **I, I love you like a love song, baby**

 **I, I love you like a love song, baby**

 **I, I love you like a love song, baby**

 **And I keep it in re-pe-pe-peat (x2)**

Beca's smile was splitting her face, especially watching Chloe struggle to keep her smile off her face and continue the song. Beca was quite simply overwhelmed, and she was quickly losing the battle she was fighting to not run straight into the redhead's arms. Hell, she was even considering jumping out the window at this point. It didn't seem like a terrible option.

 **Constantly, girl you played through my mind like a symphony**

 **There's no way to describe what you do to me**

 **You just do to me, what you do**

 **And it feels like I've been rescued**

 **I've been set free, I am hypnotized by your destiny**

 **You are magical, lyrical, beautiful**

 **You are, and I want you to know baby**

Beca was bouncing on the balls of her feet, itching to get down to Chloe. And all the Bellas saw it, too. Now they were all fighting to keep grins from spreading across their faces, even Aubrey.

Aubrey had to admit, the girls sounded great and the new choreography – while simple, they hadn't had a lot of time – was looking amazing from her spot towards the back. They were really taking to the new music well, which was making her wonder if maybe the midget wasn't onto something after all…

 **I, I love you like a love song, baby**

 **I, I love you like a love song, baby**

 **I, I love you like a love song, baby**

 **And I keep it in re-pe-pe-peat (x2)**

Beca knew the song wasn't over but she couldn't take it anymore, she bolted out of her room and down the stairs as fast as she could. Chloe could feel her heart beating out of her chest, she had watched Beca's reaction and she certainly looked happy but she was still nervous as all hell. What if Beca didn't come down? But before her thoughts could get away from her, she saw Beca burst out of the dorm, eyes shining. Beca confidently strode towards her, her face masked by something Chloe couldn't quite read…

"Beca, I – " Chloe was cut off by Beca's lips crashing into her own for the second time that night. The brunette wound her arms around Chloe's neck, one hand snaking into her hair. Chloe slipped her own arms around Beca's waist, pulling the younger girl flush against her. The Bellas erupted in cheers all around them and Beca, in true Beca fashion, groaned and tried to pull away. Chloe wasn't having any of it though, as she chased Beca's retreating lips to pull her back into the kiss. After a moment though, she relented and rested her forehead against Beca's. She had her Beca smile taking over half of her face – kind of like her megawatt smile but better, this one was reserved to Beca and Beca argued it was her most beautiful smile ever. Beca's eyes were still closed and she bit her lip as her hand slipped from Chloe's hair, her arms crossing behind Chloe's neck.

"Chlo?" Beca's voice was soft, just loud enough for only Chloe to hear.

"Yeah, Becs?" Chloe bumped their noses together in an effort to get the brunette to open her eyes to no avail.

"Are you sure?" Beca tightened her arms around Chloe's neck, and squeezed her eyes shut a bit tighter as if that would protect her from the answer.

"Beca, look at me." Chloe's voice was gentle but firm and she nudged Beca's nose with her own again. Beca took a deep breath and opened her eyes, immediately locking onto Chloe's baby blues. Beca looked like she was about to cry and Chloe wasn't sure if they were good tears or not, so she didn't waste any time.

"Beca Mitchell, I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you. I want you. I need you." A tear slipped down Beca's cheek, but Chloe continued. "I love the way you wake me up at three am to listen to your latest mix, I love the way you leave the best part of your sandwich for last even though you never finish your sandwiches, I love the way you crinkle your nose when you laugh, I love the way you fall asleep with your head in my lap when we're supposed to be studying, I love every single thing about you. 'Being with you and not being with you is the only way I have to measure time.'" More tears slipped down Beca's cheeks as yet another smile spread across her face. The last line was one of her favorite quotes, something she had told Chloe once. It was so fitting that the redhead was using it now.

"I love you too, Chloe Beale." Beca whispered, her voice slightly hoarse. Chloe kissed her again, gently this time, but in such a way that made Beca **feel** how much Chloe loved her. And it melted Beca – her knees actually wobbled a little – but true to her word, Chloe was there to catch her. She tightened her hold on Beca's waist and picked her up, spinning her around. Beca squealed (another moment in her life she will never live down, but it was with Chloe so she was willing to accept that) before Chloe set her down laughing. She released her hold to wipe Beca's cheeks with her thumbs and steal another kiss before linking their fingers together and turning to face the Bellas, all of whom were standing there beaming at the couple.

"Aca-finally!" Fat Amy was the first to break the silence. "Now you can finally stop moping around like someone shot your wallaby, Shawshank!" Beca chuckled sheepishly and glanced at Chloe, who just grinned at her and squeezed her hand. Chloe then decided that the hand contact wasn't enough, shaking her hand loose and throwing an arm around Beca's shoulders. Beca wound an arm around her waist and brought her other hand up to link her fingers with Chloe's hand resting on her shoulder. Chloe pulled her in to kiss her forehead and Beca leaned into the touch, inhaling Chloe's scent. It smelled like home.

"Thanks for all your help, girls, I couldn't have done it without you. You're the best." Chloe literally could not wipe the grin off her face and if she didn't have Beca wrapped around her she would be bouncing up and down uncontrollably. She finally had her girlfriend back and she had never been happier in her entire life.

"Yeah, thanks guys. That was pretty awesome, you guys sounded great." Beca said very sincerely. Most of the Bellas just smiled, they were more used to snarky Beca so sincere Beca was a rare treat for them. They loved the surly brunette dearly though, her snark had provided much needed comedic relief during Bellas rehearsals.

As elated as everyone was to see their favorite couple back together, they knew the two needed some time alone. With smiles and waves, they all departed except Stacie and Aubrey. Stacie walked up to Beca, and by default Chloe because they were occupying about as much space as one person with how closely they were pressed together.

"I knew we'd get you to crack eventually." Stacie winked, a smug smirk playing across her lips.

"Should have known you had something to do with this, Conrad." Beca shook her head and bumped Chloe's hip with her own.

"Actually, not this time. This was all your girlfriend." Beca looked up at Chloe, partly because they hadn't exactly talked about anything yet and partly because she almost couldn't believe Chloe had done this on her own. Sure, the redhead had been a good girlfriend, but this kind of romantic gesture had been more of Beca's forte. Chloe leaned down and gave her a short kiss – probably longer than Aubrey would have liked to witness seeing as she cleared her throat after a few seconds.

"Well, I'm happy for you guys." Aubrey smiled at both Chloe, who was beaming back, and Beca, who looked confused at the genuine tone Aubrey was using.

"Yes, you too, midget. You make my best friend happy so you must not be so bad. And the girls sounded pretty damn good tonight…" Aubrey sighed, not quite admitting defeat but knowing it was only a matter of time.

"Hell yeah they did!" Beca stood up a little straighter under Chloe's arm, her excitement palpable. That is, before she remembered the Bellas were out of the competition.

"So, let's talk about next year at some point." Aubrey said, her voice returning to business. Beca just grinned and tightened her hold on Chloe to keep herself from bouncing up and down in her spot – damn this redhead was rubbing off on her, Beca had never been a bouncy person before. She hated bouncy people. But she couldn't help it, Aubrey was implying that she would give Beca control over the Bellas next year and – wait, next year. That would mean Beca had to stay in college, no LA. But where would Chloe be? Beca pushed the thoughts to the back of her head – it was getting crowded back there – because right now she didn't want to worry about all that.

"Well as much fun as that sounds, Aubrey and I are going to go…do…stuff." Stacie lobbed her head from side to side as she finished her sentence and Beca wasn't sure if they were leaving for her and Chloe's sake or so they could go have sex. She didn't really want to know because General Posen having sex? Ew. Stacie grabbed Aubrey's hand and started walking backwards, waving at the newly reunited couple.

"See you later!" Chloe called after them.

"You better not!" Stacie shot back. Again, Beca wasn't sure whose benefit that was for but she just chuckled good-naturedly anyway. Chloe dropped her arm from Beca's shoulders and grabbed both of her hands, facing the shorter girl.

"So…" Chloe's tone was playful and her eyes were twinkling, looking at Beca like she was the only girl in the world. It made Beca's heart sing.

"So…" Beca replied, her eyes flitting between Chloe's eyes and her lips. Chloe took the hint and swooped down to claim Beca's lips with her own. Beca sighed into the kiss, letting Chloe's tongue slip past her lips. Beca was just untangling their hands to pull Chloe in closer when the taller girl broke the kiss.

"What do you say we take this upstairs?" Beca just bit her lip and nodded, and Chloe thought she saw a tinge of uneasiness in those steely blue orbs. She opted not to say anything until they had gotten upstairs, instead just pulling Beca tightly against her in the elevator and resting her chin on brunette locks. She had missed holding Beca so much, having her in her arms just felt right. It felt like Chloe was home.

The couple walked out of the elevator hand in hand, breaking apart only so Beca could unlock the door. She walked in first, Chloe following tentatively. Her confidence was suddenly deserting her – she knew they were back together but she also knew Beca wasn't going to be able to forget the last few weeks with a few meals and a serenade. Beca made herself comfortable on the bed and looked up to see Chloe frozen in the doorway. She chuckled and patted the space next to her.

"Chlo, shut the door and come over here." Chloe quickly shut the door behind her and sat down into the space next to Beca, making sure they were touching but still leaving a little bit of space with them. She knew they needed to talk and wanted to be able to look Beca in the eye for that. Beca deserved an explanation, and she wished she had a better one, but all she had was the truth, as pathetic of a truth as it was. Beca picked up her hand and started playing with her fingers for a few moments before looking up at her.

"So, we need to talk." She said gently, not letting go of Chloe's hand.

"I know." Chloe sighed, still not ready.

"What happened, Chlo?" Beca was still looking at her, but Chloe looked down at their hands before beginning her explanation.

"I just…freaked out. I've never been in love before, much less with a girl, and I got so caught up in…just in you that I never really stopped and gave myself time to adjust. I never thought about what this," she gestured between the two of them with her free hand, "really meant. I hadn't even been in a serious relationship before and then you come along and it was like…like something inside me just snapped. I had to get to know you, have you in my life, be close to you. I just didn't know exactly how. And then after the shower…well let's just say if Tom hadn't interrupted us things would have gone differently that day…" Chloe shifted a little as heat spread through her core at the memory, pressing her thighs together. Beca just chuckled softly but stayed quiet as if to tell Chloe to continue.

"Then when you kissed me at hood night…Bec my whole world exploded that night. I lost my ability to function after you kissed me, which explains the rest of the night. I was just dazed. I never thought kissing someone could feel like that. When I kiss you it's like the world doesn't exist, my feet aren't touching the ground. Like I'm the most alive I've ever been." Beca grinned at this and pulled Chloe in for a kiss, unable to help herself. She still wanted answers, but that part made her happy. Chloe sighed into the kiss but pulled away before they lost themselves.

"Yeah, like that." She shook her head as if to clear it and continued, "So then when you told me you love me…well I just kind of panicked…my brain shut down again and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to handle it. And I am so sorry, Becs, I never meant to hurt you. I was just freaking out. And I know I did the one thing I promised you I'd never do, I left, but I'm back now and I'm not going anywhere. I came out to my family and they were so supportive, and Stacie helped me get my head out of my ass and realize that losing you was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. Not that I didn't already know that, but she has a way of emphasizing things…"

"Let me guess, she just told you the truth again and again until you snapped?" Beca nudged Chloe's shoulder with her own.

"Pretty much, yeah. I got so upset after the riff-off that I told her to fuck off.." Chloe admitted, looking a little guilty. Angelic Chloe Beale didn't exactly tell people to fuck off on the regular.

"The riff-off? Why?" Beca was genuinely curious, since she had barely interacted with Chloe that night.

"You walked in with Jesse, spit that rap like it was your business, and then just left. With Jesse." Chloe couldn't keep the bitter jealousy out of her voice as much as she tried.

"You're still jealous of Jesse?" Beca laughed. "He and I became friends after he actually stopped hitting on me, he's a pretty cool guy."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Chloe's voice was sullen as she kept her eyes trained on their hands. Beca hooked two fingers under Chloe's chin and brought her face up so she could look into her eyes.

"Chlo, come on, you know nothing was going on there." Chloe already knew that, she just didn't like Beca being friends with someone who used to hit on her nonstop. But hearing the words out of Beca's mouth was still comforting.

"I know, I know." Chloe sighed.

"So you liked the rap, huh?" Beca's signature smirk slipped onto her face and Chloe was struck by exactly how much she loved that smirk, especially when it was directed at her.

"Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how hot you are when you rap like that?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

"Considering I've never rapped in public, no." Beca's smirk stayed firmly in place but Chloe could tell she really had no idea, even though she was teasing her.

"I seriously almost jumped you then and there. And then realized I couldn't. And that was pretty much the night I decided to stop being an idiot. Well, I also heard your radio show…" Chloe shrugged, knowing full well that wasn't the night she had **actually** stopped being an idiot.

"Oh, yeah, the station kind of helped me work through some things…"

"I know, I heard you. At least for the first few songs…I kind of couldn't take it anymore. I still hate myself for hurting you…" Chloe trailed off softly.

"I forgive you. But I can't just forget everything that has happened…I mean what about the semi-finals with Aubrey, Chlo? I needed you." Beca's last sentence was barely more than a whisper and Beca looked away, but not before Chloe saw tears forming in her eyes.

"I know, I messed up so badly that night. I had just come back from home and I was all excited to get you back and then I just screwed everything up more…I just…I've never been good at standing up to Aubrey. She's been my best friend for three years, and no one has ever stuck by me like she has – she protects me. But I should have protected you, because she was wrong. Even if she hadn't been wrong, I should have protected you. I know that now, and I promise I will never let anything happen to you again."

"Hmm, that's funny thing to promise. You can't never let anything happen to me. Then nothing would ever happen to me. Not much fun for little Beca." Beca smiled cheekily, wiping the tears from her eyes before they could fall.

"Beca Mitchell did you just quote a MOVIE?!" Chloe had to take a second to realize it wasn't just any movie, it was Finding Nemo, which was one of her favorites. One of her favorites that she had never gotten around to making Beca watch.

"Yeah, well, it's like someone's favorite movie or whatever."

"Becs, I…ugh why are you so good at this?" Chloe shook her head. Here she was struggling to even **be** Beca's girlfriend and Beca was busy being the most amazing of all girlfriends, even while they were broken up. Specifically after Chloe had broken her heart. It just wasn't fair.

"What?" Beca looked genuinely confused.

"Being such an awesome girlfriend. It's so hard to keep up with you. And I realize that I didn't before, at all. But things are going to be different this time around. This past week hasn't just been me trying to get you back, it's how things are going to be from now on. I'm going to start doing all the little things for you that you always did for me." Chloe's voice was determined, but Beca felt bad.

"Chlo, you don't have to do that. I don't need you to. I just do things for you because…I don't know, because you're always on my mind. But you don't have to do things for me because I do them for you." Beca tugged on Chloe's fingers as she spoke.

"I know, but I **want** to do them for you. I just wasn't good at them before, but I'm going to be now. I love you, Beca, and I never want you to forget that." Chloe held Beca's gaze as she spoke, her determination showing clearly in her eyes.

"I'm good with that." Beca grinned.

"So…are we back together?" Chloe asked carefully. She was really hoping Beca was going to say yes – she knew she had a lot more work to do but she didn't want to go another day without being able to call Beca hers again. Beca bit her lip and took a few seconds before replying. Any other time, that simple action alone would have driven Chloe crazy and made her want to kiss the brunette senseless – right now, though, it made her a little anxious. Beca chewed her lip when she was thinking hard about something.

"Yeah, I'd really like that. But I can't just go back to the way things were right away…"

"That's okay, Becs, don't worry. Take as much time as you need." Chloe grabbed both of Beca's hands and squeezed them, simply relieved that Beca said they were back together.

"If there's anything I can do, or anything you don't want me to do, just let me know. Anything at all, Becs." Chloe ran her thumbs along the backs of Beca's hands soothingly.

"Thanks, Chlo," Beca smiled, "let's just take things slow for now, if that's okay?"

"Of course, Becs. Anything for you." Chloe leaned in to kiss Beca's cheek, but at the last second Beca turned so their lips met. The kiss was soft and sweet and everything they had both missed so much.

"I missed you, Chlo." Beca rested her forehead against Chloe's without opening her eyes.

"I missed you too, Becs." Chloe kissed her again but pulled away before it could get too heated. Beca's earlier uneasiness made perfect sense now and Chloe didn't want to make her uncomfortable. That's not to say she wasn't incredibly horny – she and Beca had been compared to rabbits before The Incident and going so long without relieving the sexual frustration that was building up inside her was killing her. But Beca wasn't ready, so she was more than willing to wait until she was. Chloe was in it for the long haul this time, and whatever Beca needed, Beca was going to get.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Beca pulled away a little more and opened her eyes.

"Ok who are you and what have you done with Beca Mitchell?" Chloe raised one eyebrow, looking at Beca skeptically.

"Beale, watching a movie means I get to be alone with you, in the dark, cuddled up on my bed. And there just so happens to be a movie playing at the same time. Three out of four of those activities I happen to love." Beca grinned, already moving to lie back against the pillows. She nudged Chloe with her foot as she moved.

"Now go turn off the lights and grab my laptop off the desk." Beca ordered as she made herself comfortable.

"Jeez, someone's bossy." Chloe scoffed, getting up to follow Beca's instructions anyway.

"Yep, now get your cute butt back over here!" Beca barked out, imitating Aubrey's General voice. Chloe crawled into bed and wrapped an arm around Beca, settling the laptop on her legs as Beca snuggled into her arms. Beca sighed happily once she was fit closely against Chloe's body. Her face was buried so deep into Chloe's neck that Chloe wondered if she could even see the laptop screen, but didn't dare say anything. She didn't want Beca to move, not even a single inch. Beca's breath tickled the hollow of her throat as she queued up Netflix and put on a movie at random. Neither of them were really watching, anyway.

* * *

 **A/N: Songs used: Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows, Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen, Love You Like A Love Song – Selena Gomez. I know you guys wanted to see Chloe earn it more, and she still has a lot of work to do, but I just love them together...and I ran out of angst to write. R &R!**


	17. Chapter 17 - Nightmares and Reassurances

**A/N:** **Ok I know I said Chloe lived in NY, but I changed it to NC because I stupidly didn't think about the train ride from GA to NY, it's 17 hrs. NC is only 3 hrs. Much more feasible for my story. Ch 12 has been updated to match.**

Beca woke up to an empty bed and rolled over to see Chloe quietly slipping on her shoes.

"Hey baby, where are you going?" Beca asked sleepily.

"I'm sorry, Beca. I don't love you." Chloe's tone was cold and clipped, and she turned away from Beca to gather the rest of her things.

"Chloe, what are you talking about? What do you mean?" Beca shot up in bed, tears immediately springing to her eyes.

"I don't love you." Chloe's voice was still ice cold, and the tears began streaming down Beca's face.

"Chloe, baby, please!" Beca cried, reaching for Chloe. She kept trying to get out of bed, but something was keeping her rooted to the spot.

"Good bye, Beca." Chloe walked out the door without even a backward glance.

"Chloe!" Beca screamed. "Chloe! CHLOEEEE!" Beca was sobbing at this point, but she couldn't move to run after Chloe.

* * *

"Beca," Chloe gently shook her sleeping girlfriend, it sounded like she was having a nightmare from the way she was mumbling. The pair had fallen asleep shortly after the movie started and Chloe had placed Beca's laptop on the desk behind them a little while later. When Beca started to cry and scream her name, Chloe leaned over her and shook her more forcefully.

"Beca! Beca, wake up!" Beca shot up with a gasp, almost smacking her forehead into Chloe's in the process. She was breathing hard and tears were still falling down her face, but when she looked beside her Chloe was still there, her face painted with concern. Chloe sat up too and put an arm around Beca, surprised when the other girl stiffened slightly before relaxing.

"What happened, babe?" Chloe started rubbing soothing circles on Beca's back and wiped the tears off her face with her free hand.

"I...had a nightmare…" Beca admitted quietly, finally managing to get her breathing and heart rate under control.

"What about? You were crying and screaming my name…" Chloe's brow furrowed, not quite putting the puzzle pieces together.

"You, um…you told me you didn't love me and you left…" Beca was hugging her knees to her chest and not looking at Chloe. She felt a little pathetic for still having this nightmare – she had been having some variation of it every night since The Incident. Having it in front of Chloe was especially bad – of course the redhead knew she wasn't secure about their relationship yet, but this was…Beca just felt it was extremely personal. Not something she was 100% sure she was ready to share, but then again she didn't have much of a choice at this point.

"Beca…baby I'm so sorry." Chloe pulled her close and Beca let Chloe comfort her, nuzzling her face into Chloe's neck and leaning into in the arms that wrapped around her.

"I promise I'm not going anywhere. Have you had this nightmare before?" Chloe asked after placing a kiss to the top of Beca's head.

"Um…every night…" Beca mumbled against Chloe's skin, tightening her grip on the redhead as if to reassure herself that Chloe was, indeed, still there.

"Every night?" Chloe's voice was tight and laced with pain, pain at the thought of putting her tiny girlfriend through this every night for the last few weeks. Her arms tightened around Beca.

"Yeah…unless I don't sleep…so I haven't been sleeping a lot." Beca admitted, not moving.

"Baby I…I don't know what to say. I am so sorry. I promise you don't have to spend another night alone unless you want to, and I will always be there when you wake up. I promise." Beca just tightened her hold on Chloe and nodded against her shoulder, not trusting her voice. She hated the dreams about losing Chloe, they were almost worse than losing Chloe had been in real life because she couldn't do anything about it. No matter what she said, Chloe left and she was powerless to chase after her. But knowing that she would have Chloe to wake her up from the nightmares from now on made her feel a bit better.

"Come on, let's go back to sleep. I'm not going anywhere." Chloe dropped another kiss to Beca's head before nudging the younger girl off her shoulder. Beca automatically moved into the little spoon position and waited for Chloe to curl around her. That was when Beca felt the safest, when she was cocooned in Chloe's arms as her little spoon, and that's exactly what Beca needed right now. Safety. The irony of finding safety in Chloe's arms wasn't lost on Beca, but she really couldn't be bothered to care. She was done fighting that fight, she just had to trust Chloe now. Chloe snuggled close to Beca and waited until Beca's breathing evened out, signifying she was asleep, before letting herself even consider sleeping. It killed Chloe that Beca had been having this nightmare for so long, and it killed her that Beca was still having it. So she was going to keep her promise – no matter what she had to do that night or the next morning, Beca would not be sleeping alone nor would she be waking up alone. She was done putting other things before the love of her life.

* * *

Beca woke up screaming once more that night after the same dream, and just as Chloe promised, she was there. Two nightmares in one night though, especially the night they had gotten back together, made Chloe think about how badly she had broken Beca. Sure, she had been pretty heartbroken when she and Beca had split – she still had issues admitting she had dumped her amazing girlfriend so she preferred to think of it as a split – but she never realized quite how hard Beca had taken it. The second nightmare had been worse than the first; it had taken her longer to wake Beca and she had refused to tell Chloe what had happened in the dream. She was much more upset than after the first one, though, which made Chloe wonder if there wasn't something else to it other than her leaving – something else that made Beca insecure about their relationship. Whatever it was, Chloe just wanted to make it better. It took Chloe a good forty-five minutes to fall back asleep after Beca's second nightmare – it was only six am, so they had several more hours to sleep since it was Saturday. But after she had cuddled Beca back to sleep, Chloe just lay there trying to keep her tears at bay. She didn't want to wake Beca, but she was having trouble not breaking down after witnessing what exactly she had done to her girlfriend. She could never have imagined that she would have this big of an effect on the reserved little DJ – she knew Beca didn't let people in and that she was lucky to have gotten close to her, but she never realized just how close she had gotten, just how firmly she had inserted herself into Beca's heart. At this point she was just grateful to have gotten the girl back, because the thought of losing Beca for good was one of the scariest things she had ever experienced. Now she just had to make things right. She had assumed getting Beca to be her girlfriend again would be the hard part, but now she knew that the real hard part was going to be getting Beca's heart back, and her trust. Chloe's sleep after that was fitful, and she kept waking up to make sure Beca was okay. She couldn't help the tight hold she was keeping on her small girlfriend, she felt like it was the only way to put her back together. So that was exactly how the couple woke up several hours later, with Chloe's arm tightly wound around Beca's waist and their legs tangled together. Beca woke first, slowly coming to consciousness and rolling over to snuggle deeper into Chloe's embrace. Chloe woke to the feeling of sleepy kisses being pressed to her neck and instinctively tightened her arms around Beca, humming in satisfaction. The kisses continued, slowly shifting from sleepy to purposeful until a quiet moan slipped from Chloe's lips. Her hips automatically ground into Beca's as she tipped her head back, giving Beca more access to her neck. The brunette's lips continued their assault, stopping at the sensitive spot right under Chloe's ear. Beca's nails were scratching down Chloe's back, driving her crazy. Beca lifted her lips from Chloe's neck for only a second before Chloe captured her lips in an intense kiss. Beca kissed back just as fiercely, arching her body into Chloe's and rolling her hips against the redhead's thigh. Chloe slipped a hand under Beca's shirt and scratched her nails down Beca's ribs, making the smaller girl moan into her mouth. Chloe took the opportunity to slip her tongue into her girlfriend's mouth, both girls moaning as their tongues fought for dominance. Beca moved to straddle Chloe in one smooth motion without breaking the kiss, whimpering slightly as she ground her hips down against Chloe's. The sound ripped Chloe out of her lust-filled haze, triggering memories of Beca's nightmares only a few short hours ago. Chloe pulled away, one hand on Beca's shoulder pushing her slightly back and one hand resting on her hip. Beca's lips were slightly parted and swollen from being thoroughly kissed, her hair slightly mussed from sleep, and Chloe thought she had never looked more beautiful. Chloe froze, taking a minute to just admire Beca.

"What's wrong, Chlo?" Beca's eyes flicked from Chloe's eyes to her lips, indicating that she wasn't terribly happy with the interruption.

"Becs, I really…" Chloe trailed off as Beca dropped down again, lightly kissing along her jaw, then nipping at an earlobe.

"Baby, stop." Chloe's voice was breathy but firm. Beca pulled back just a bit and furrowed her brow. Chloe quickly continued before Beca could misinterpret anything.

"I want this, god you have no idea how much I want this. You." Chloe's hands tightened on Beca's hips as she spoke, trying to keep her libido in check long enough to get her sentence out.

"But I don't think we're ready for this yet. I mean, not after last night…" Chloe watched Beca's reaction carefully, hoping she hadn't misread the situation. Beca just sighed and slid off of her, curling into her side.

"I know, I just…I don't know, I'm tired of feeling like this. I just want things to go back to normal." Beca's voice wavered as she spoke; Chloe wasn't used to this…broken side of Beca. But she knew she had to make it better.

"I do, too, Becs. But you said it yourself last night, it's not going to be that easy. And that's okay. I know it's going to take time for me to earn your trust back, but I will. I promise. Then we'll try this again, okay?" Chloe pulled back a little to look down at Beca, who paused for a second before looking up at her and nodding. Chloe kissed her softly before pulling away.

"So what are your plans for the day, babe?" Chloe asked innocently, hoping Beca's answer would include her.

"Hmm…well I was planning on spending the day with Jesse and then maybe hitting up that gay bar downtown, see if I could pick up a hot chick or two…" Beca's tone was playful and Chloe took full advantage, tickling Beca mercilessly as soon as she finished her sentence.

"Oh you were, were you?" Chloe challenged, equally as playful. She tickled Beca until the younger girl screamed, and Chloe wound up sitting on Beca's hips with Beca's arms pinned above her head. She decided to cap off the tickle fight by peppering Beca's face with kisses before asking again.

"So what did you say your plans were again?" Chloe teased, still peppering kisses on Beca's face. Beca squirmed underneath her and shook her head in mock disgust, making a childish face at Chloe. That only served to make Chloe laugh more and continue her assault, using her lips to tickle Beca's neck. Beca squealed (again, something she would never admit to anyone. Damn this ginger and her tickling abilities) and squirmed harder under Chloe, managing to get one hand free. She only got in a few seconds of tickling before Chloe snagged her wrist again and pinned her down.

"Okay, okay. I was really just planning on spending the day with my girlfriend…" Beca's words were almost tentative, as if she weren't sure what Chloe would say to that.

"Hmm funny you would say that, that's exactly what I was planning on doing." Chloe pretended to think about her words before speaking but her grin belied her pause.

"So maybe if you let me go, we could go get breakfast?" Beca raised her eyebrows to emphasize the question, her brain almost totally focused on thinking of a place to go.

"I don't know, I'm kind of comfy right here…" Chloe collapsed on top of Beca, nuzzling her face into the younger girl's neck. She knew there was no way Beca could be comfortable, which only made it more fun for her – at least for a few minutes.

"Chloeeeeee!" Beca whined, wriggling underneath her girlfriend.

"I want pancakes!" As if on cue, Beca's stomach growled, making Chloe chuckle. The older girl, however, still refused to move.

"Chloe's dead." Chloe's voice was muffled by Beca's neck. Beca threw her arms up in a attempt to get Chloe off of her a couple times, but it was no use. Chloe was simply bigger than her, and she was trapped. She briefly considered starting a tickle fight again, but decided against it since that was how she had ended up in this situation in the first place.

"Chloeeeeeeee…" Beca whined again, nudging the other girl's head with her own.

"Chlo…If you don't get off me I'll tell Aubrey about the time we had sex on the kitchen counter." Beca's voice turned mock threatening. Chloe immediately shot up, her hands on either side of Beca's head.

"You wouldn't dare…" Chloe knew Beca would never tell Bree anything of the sort – she didn't have a death wish – but she played along anyway.

"Oh wouldn't I?" Beca raised her eyebrows in challenge, also knowing she would never want to incur Aubrey's wrath for that one.

"Alright, let's go." Chloe sighed airily as she stood up to stretch, as if Beca had won. She had kicked off her jeans in the middle of the night but she had slept in her bra and it was getting a bit uncomfortable. She unhooked it under her shirt and managed to wriggle out of it before turning around to face Beca.

"Can I borrow a hoodie? My bra was killing me." Beca nodded and got up to dig through her closet for a clean sweatshirt for the redhead. She found one from high school, an old soccer hoodie with her name on the back, and tossed it to Chloe who put it on quickly.

"You know you're never getting this back, right?" Chloe teased, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Chlo! That's my favorite sweatshirt!" Beca was now looking for a sweatshirt for herself – she really needed to clean her closet. It was a mess, but she just couldn't be bothered to fold things.

"It's my favorite sweatshirt, too!" Chloe shot back a little too sweetly. Beca emerged from her closet zipping up her second favorite hoodie and glared at her girlfriend.

"You can **borrow** it, but I want it back at some point!" Beca pointed at her with her most serious face on.

"Okay!" Chloe's tone was mischievous and Beca knew the only time she would see that sweatshirt anytime soon was going to be when Chloe wore it. She pulled her own hoodie on and tugged the older girl towards the door.

"If you're going to steal my things, at least feed me first." She grumbled as they walked out of her dorm.

"I can do that!" Chloe grinned, throwing her arms around Beca's shoulders and placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek. The sweatshirt smelled like Beca and she absolutely loved it – she was loving everything about this whole day so far.

* * *

They went to their favorite diner and talked about everything they had missed in each other's lives over the past few weeks. Beca even told Chloe more about her friendship with Jesse and how he had deemed them "lesbros." Chloe still wasn't happy about him being in Beca's life, but she managed to quell her displeasure since he was one of the people who had been there for Beca after their breakup. She guessed it was okay if he made Beca smile and laugh every once in a while, because Beca never smiled at anyone the way she smiled at Chloe. As long as that never changed, Beca could be friends with a German supermodel and Chloe would find a way to be ok with it.

After they paid – Beca insisted it was her treat, and after putting up a bit of a fight Chloe had relented – they were just walking around campus hand in hand. The conversation was still flowing easily, Chloe had just explained how she had used the program Beca had taught her to use to make the songs from her serenade flow together in just the right way. She had then used the mix to teach the Bellas the transitions. Beca had been seriously impressed, but then again Chloe had taken to the program and mixing as if she were a natural. Chloe had fallen silent for a few minutes, and Beca could hear the gears turning in her head.

"Hey, Chlo, whatcha thinking about?" Beca bumped Chloe's shoulder with her own to get the taller girl's attention. Chloe just looked at her like a deer in the headlights for a second, having been deep in thought.

"Um, so, right, there's kinda, kinda something I need to tell you…" Chloe was rambling nervously and Beca wasn't used to it. To be honest, it kind of scared her. She guided Chloe over to a nearby bench and turned her body to face the redhead as they sat down. Beca pulled her left leg up and tucked her foot under her right knee so she could fully face Chloe.

"What's wrong, Chloe?" With each passing second, Beca was getting deeper and deeper into panic mode. They had just gotten back together, what could Chloe possibly be so nervous about telling her?

"So…I…" Chloe paused, not entirely comfortable bringing the subject up due to how the conversation had gone last time…

"Chloe, please, just tell me what's going on." Beca's voice was pleading and Chloe's eyes snapped up to see Beca's own filled with worry, not to mention tears.

"I'm getting my nodes removed over Christmas break." Chloe blurted out, not wanting to drag it out any longer. Beca exhaled a deep breath she didn't even know she was holding and visibly relaxed, blinking away her tears.

"Bec, what did you think I was going to say?" Chloe asked, not sure where Beca's intense apprehension had come from.

"I…" Now it was Beca's turn to pause, "Never mind, it's nothing. So when is your surgery?" Beca tried to shift the conversation back to Chloe's nodes but it didn't work.

"Becs, is this about your nightmare last night? Please tell me what's bothering you." Chloe reached out for Beca's hands, the conversation about her nodes could wait. It wasn't like they were going anywhere for a little while. Beca let Chloe take her hands but looked away. Chloe squeezed her hands gently to get Beca to turn back to her.

"Chlo, it's really nothing. I don't want to talk about it." Beca's eyes flitted to Chloe's briefly and then away, looking anywhere but at her girlfriend.

"Baby, please, whatever it is, tell me so I can fix it." Chloe begged, tugging on Beca's hands again. Beca took a breath and sighed heavily, looking as if she were mustering up the courage to tell Chloe what was on her mind.

"It's just…in my nightmares…sometimes you're…with someone else. And I can never see her face, but…you're kissing her, and…" Beca trailed off, she still hadn't looked back at Chloe. But Chloe knew she wasn't done, so she stayed silent. Beca closed her eyes and steeled herself for what she was about to admit, not wanting to break down crying in the middle of the quad.

"She always says she loves you and you always say it back so easily, without a second of hesitation. And I know we were broken up but Amy said she saw you at that club downtown a few weeks ago and...you were with someone…" Beca blurted out without stopping to take a breath. Chloe froze at Beca's words. She didn't know what she was expecting, but that was not it. She didn't know anyone had seen her the night she had decided to go to the gay club near campus.

"Okay, Beca, I can explain…" Chloe quickly started, desperate to clarify the situation, but Beca cut her off just as quickly.

"You don't have to, we were broken up." Beca's hands were limp her their own and Beca still refused to look at her, looking down at the ground instead.

"No, I want to, listen to me. Please." Chloe gently cupped Beca's cheek with one hand, turning her face towards Chloe's own. Beca's eyes were filled with tears, a sight Chloe had seen too many times for her liking, especially within the last several weeks.

"Yes, I went to the club once while we were broken up. Because I didn't know who I was or what I was doing, and I was just so lost at that point that I thought it might help me figure myself out. I hadn't been there long when this girl started hitting on me and bought me a drink –"

"Chloe, please. Don't." Beca choked out, not wanting to hear this in the least.

"Beca, nothing happened! She was flirting with me and then she tried to kiss me but I stopped her. Because she wasn't you." Chloe was cupping Beca's face with both of her hands now and Beca leaned into the touch. She brought her own hands up to Chloe's wrists, removing the redhead's hands from her face and crawling into her lap. Chloe wrapped her arms tightly around Beca's waist as Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe's shoulders, her legs still stretched out along the bench. Chloe didn't say anything, knowing that Beca just needed time to process what she had just told her.

"I'm sorry, Chlo…" Beca's voice was small and quiet, and for the umpteenth time since last night Chloe found herself hating what she had reduced her tough, sarcastic girlfriend to.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, I'm sorry. You're the only one I love, Beca. No one else. Please never forget that."

"I love you, too." Beca lifted her head from Chloe's shoulder to look her in the eye as she spoke. Beca leaned forward to press their lips together in a gentle kiss, which was quickly disrupted by some asshole wolf whistling at them as he walked past. Beca flipped him off on instinct, making Chloe chuckle.

"Maybe we should get out of here." She gave Beca a gentle nudge, hoping this would be the last conversation they had to have like this. She didn't want Beca to question her love for the tiny DJ, but she knew she had no right to expect anything else. Everything she had told Beca had been the truth, though. She had gone to the club, let the girl buy her a drink, and let her flirt. Chloe hadn't exactly flirted back, but she hadn't stopped the girl either. And she had almost been too late to stop the kiss, but she did stop it, which was the important part. Although what Fat Amy saw probably didn't look too good, unless she had been watching the whole interaction. Knowing Fat Amy's attention span (think goldfish), Chloe knew she hadn't gotten the whole story there. She couldn't blame Amy for trying to look out for Beca though, if anything she was grateful that Beca had such a loyal friend. Even if it had worked against her this time.

"Wait, I want to talk about your nodes first." Beca slid off her lap but kept her legs draped across Chloe's lap. Chloe slipped her arms free of Beca's waist and rested them on her legs, Beca bringing her own hands down to grab one of Chloe's, playing with her fingers and her rings. Chloe loved when Beca did that, for some reason she found it irresistibly cute, which made her smile.

"What?" Beca asked, curious as to why Chloe was smiling after Beca brought up her nodes.

"Nothing, just you. I missed the little things, like how you always play with my hands when we talk." Chloe looked up, directing her megawatt smile at Beca who smiled softly back.

"So when is your surgery?" Beca looked down to resume playing with Chloe's fingers but kept glancing back up at Chloe.

"December 27th, that way I still get to enjoy Christmas and can get my voice back before next semester." Chloe's voice had become almost emotionless, which sent up a red flag for Beca. She knew this was a big deal, it could seriously affect Chloe's vocal cords, so it made perfect sense that the redhead was scared.

"Okay, I'm coming." Beca stated, her tone so matter of fact that Chloe's eyes snapped up to meet the stormy blues that were already looking at her.

"You're what?" Chloe asked dumbly. She had heard Beca, but she couldn't believe Beca actually wanted to come.

"I mean, unless you don't want me to…" Beca's voice was now filled with uncertainty, and Chloe jumped to reassure her.

"No, no of course I do! I would love it if you came. I just…didn't think you'd want to come." Chloe admitted a little sheepishly. Beca leaned in and kissed her again, a silent reminder that even though things weren't perfect, Beca was there for her. Chloe fought the urge to deepen the kiss, not wanting to get cat called by another asshole, and ended it before they lost themselves.

"I'm not going home for break, anyway. My mom is going to Hawaii with her boyfriend and I'd rather eat microwave ramen every day for a year than spend a month with my dad and the stepmonster." Beca wrinkled her nose at the thought – Chloe knew she really hated microwave ramen, so that was one hell of a statement. Beca tried to act as if her mom going to Hawaii didn't faze her, but Chloe could tell she was upset that she had been left behind for Christmas. Lucky for her, Chloe knew exactly how to make it better.

"You could…come home with me? For the whole break?" Chloe tossed the suggestion out tentatively, not sure if she was rushing things since they had just gotten back together. She already felt like Beca coming for her surgery was a big deal, not to mention the fact that Beca hadn't met Chloe's family yet. They could be a lot to handle for a normal person, but Chloe was a little worried they would scare off her reserved girlfriend.

"We can tell my family whatever you want – we can tell them we're just friends or something so they don't ask too many questions and don't bug you about us and make things awkward and – " Chloe rushed to explain, but she was silent by Beca putting a finger to her lips.

"Shhh. Let me think for a second." Truth be told, the immediate answer that had jumped into Beca's mind had been yes. Chloe would have found that out if she hadn't over-thought her offer, but now it was Beca's turn to consider it. Beca knew it was a little soon to be going home to meet Chloe's family, considering everything that had just happened, but she really couldn't imagine a reason to turn down a month with Chloe – nor did she really want to find a reason to do so.

"I'd love to come with you." Beca's voice was soft and oozing with sincerity; so much so that Chloe thought she might melt then and there. Chloe launched herself at her girlfriend, well as much as she could in their current sitting position. She pulled Beca as close as possible and held onto her tight. Beca just chuckled and returned the embrace. It made her happy to see Chloe so happy. She wondered what the next month would be like, she hadn't met Chloe's family before, but if they were anything like Chloe it was going to be one hell of a Christmas.


	18. Chapter 18 - What Am I Doing Here?

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry this took so long. I wrote it, and it sucked, so I had to rewrite it. Stress from work makes me a shitty writer, blame my boss for the delay.**

 **Also, thanks to sugarlandaddict23 for catching my accidental switch back to NYC instead of NC. Chloe lives in NYC again, because I have ideas for NYC in my head. SO please suspend your disbelief and play along that a train to NYC from Atlanta is only a few hours...it's an Acela...on crack...and forgive me for losing track of my own characters' homes...**

* * *

The next week of finals went by quickly for both Chloe and Beca. Aside from one or two all nighters, the couple spent every night together, just as Chloe promised. And every night, just as Beca had said, she woke up screaming Chloe's name, tears rushing down her face. There was a slight improvement in that she had only woken up once each night instead of twice, which had become her norm, but it wasn't enough. It still broke Chloe's heart to see Beca's shocked expression when Chloe shook her awake; no matter how long they had been asleep, Beca was always surprised when it was Chloe waking her from her nightmare and not Kimmy Jin (who had been nicer than Beca had thought she was capable of). They had been spending their nights at Beca's dorm, due to its proximity to the library, but Chloe was beginning to wonder if that was part of the problem. She decided to bring it up with Beca after break, maybe sleeping at her apartment instead would help. She also hoped that the month together would help – she couldn't wait to have Beca all to herself. All these thoughts occupied Chloe's mind as she packed to go home – she and Beca had split up just a few hours ago to get ready to leave; their finals had finished Friday afternoon, but instead of leaving Friday night they had opted to stay in and relax, cuddle, and unwind from the long, stressful week. Their train was due to leave at 3 PM on Saturday afternoon, just two hours away. Chloe surveyed her room to make sure she hadn't missed anything before grabbing her bags and heading back over to Beca's dorm.

Beca stood in the middle of her room, clothes strewn everywhere and her face buried in her hands.

"Stace, what if they hate me?" Beca groaned, her words muffled by her palms. Stacie just chuckled, she and Beca had been going back and forth on this for the last hour since Beca had called her in a panic., demanding she come over. Standing up from her comfy spot on the bed, Stacie pulled Beca's hands off her face.

"Beca, look at me. Chloe loves you, Chloe came out to her family because of you, and they were fine with it. Obviously they know you're pretty damn special to her, which you are, so you just need to take a chill pill. It will be fine. They will love you. Surprisingly, when you're not being a snarky asshole, you're very lovable." Stacie punctuated her sentence with a wink and tugged Beca into a tight hug, making sure Beca's face was surrounded by her boobs. Stacie loved making Beca feel awkward, and knowing about Beca's little crush on her in high school made it all too easy. Beca flailed her arms, mumbling something about suffocating and a threat about nonsexual biting before Stacie let her go. Beca huffed her annoyance – she wasn't actually annoyed, this was kind of her and Stacie's thing and she loved it - and leveled Stacie with a glare before mumbling out a thank you.

"I still don't know what to pack though!" Beca cried, having once again turned to face her closet and empty suitcase.

"Dare I suggest plaid?" Stacie smirked, pointing to the rack **full** of plaid shirts in Beca's closet.

"Right so I look like the world's biggest lesbian who only wears plaid and let's not forget I'm covered in piercings and tattoos and eyeliner and I'm going home to meet the family of America's freakin' sweetheart!" Beca's voice rose in exasperation, with herself, not Stacie, and she was about to slump her shoulders in defeat when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, making her jump.

"America's sweetheart happens to love the plaid, piercings, tattoos, and eyeliner." Chloe's cheerful voice filled her ears and Beca groaned again, tipping her head back to rest on Chloe's shoulder. Stacie had seen Chloe come in, but the redhead had motioned for her to be quiet with a finger to her lips. Stacie loved watching the two interact; they were polar opposites that somehow complemented each other perfectly. Chloe was a bubbly ball of sunshine and unfaltering optimism, and Beca was a dark spiky ball of biting wit and cynicism. As soon as Chloe was near though, if Stacie watched carefully, she could see Beca start to soften as Chloe's eternal sunshine seeped into her. Chloe was good for her best friend, Stacie was sure of that, she just needed to have a chat with the bouncy ginger kitten. You know, one of those "break her heart and I'll break your face," type chats. She had never felt the need to give it to Chloe the first time, but then again she would never have seen The Incident coming in a million years. Stacie watched Chloe take over packing for Beca, throwing in several of Beca's plaid shirts and whatever else she thought Beca would need. Obviously they would have to do laundry at Chloe's house, there was no way Beca could pack for a whole month without that. Beca just deferred to Chloe's judgment, only chipping in to make sure Chloe got all her favorites. When her bag was just about full, Beca realized she needed to check her mail before they left and scampered off to do that, leaving Stacie and a very unsuspecting Chloe all alone.

"So it looks like things are going well for you two." Stacie said casually, looking up from where she had moved back to lounging on Beca's bed and filing her nails.

"Yeah, I'm just so happy to have her back. I don't know what I would do without her, Stace. She means the world to me." Chloe grinned as she spoke, casting glances at the door Beca had just walked out of.

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. Because if you ever hurt her again, I will end you Chloe Beale." Stacie's voice remained casual, she didn't even stop filing her nails until the end of her sentence. It was then that she looked up and leveled Chloe with a look so serious that Chloe knew she meant business.

"I know, I promise, I won't." Chloe was a bit taken aback by the sudden change in Stacie's demeanor, but she really should have seen this one coming. Stacie was Beca's best friend, after all, and while she had been one of the driving forces in getting them back together, Chloe knew Stacie had a fierce protective streak.

"Here's the thing, I don't think you do know. I helped you get her back because you're good for her, you make her happy. Happier than I've ever seen her. But you also almost destroyed her, and I know you're starting to see some of the damage but I watched it happen real time. Beca has changed so much since coming here, and a lot of that is because of you, and I don't want to watch her go back into her shell. She's an amazing person, one of the best I know, so don't fuck her up again, Beale. Got it?" Stacie had stood up mid-speech and was now towering over Chloe, her head tilted to one side as she asked the question in an innocent tone. And while part of Chloe was almost offended that Stacie felt the need to threaten her, she couldn't blame her, and she respected how much the younger girl cared for Beca.

"Yeah, I do. You're right, I am starting to see the damage I did and there aren't words in the English language that are strong enough to express how badly I wish I could take it all back. So I'm going to do the next best thing, I'm going to fix it. No matter what it takes. She's…fuck, I really think she's it for me." Chloe held Stacie's gaze to let her know she was serious, but looked down in a panic as soon as the last sentence slipped from her mouth. She had never really thought about that before, but she knew it was true. When she looked back up, Stacie was smiling at her.

"Good, now I can stop being the scary best friend." Stacie pulled her into a hug which Chloe eagerly returned, chuckling at Stacie's words. Their timing couldn't have been better, with Beca walking in just as they were pulling apart.

"Woah, Stace, I know he's a hunter but could you maybe keep him on a leash around my girlfriend?" Beca teased, grabbing Chloe by the waist and pulling her back into her arms. Chloe just giggled as Stacie threw her a suggestive wink before turning around in Beca's arms to give her a kiss.

"We'd better get going, babe, or we'll miss our train!" Chloe stepped out of Beca's arms to collect her things.

"Thanks for your help, Stace, I'll see you in a month!" Beca walked over to give her friend a hug.

"Anytime, Becs, I'm sure I'll talk to you over break." Stacie returned the hug before bidding her captain good bye. She wasn't leaving til later that day, but neither was Aubrey, so the two were planning on spending the afternoon together.

* * *

Beca and Chloe made their way to the train station and before they knew it they were halfway to New York. Beca had managed to quell her nerves for the first part of the ride, but now she was starting to get fidgety. Chloe looked up from the book she was reading after Beca's left leg started bouncing enough to jostle her own. She put her book down and tugged Beca's headphones off, turning slightly in her seat to face her.

"What's wrong, Becs?" Chloe knew exactly what was wrong but she needed Beca to talk to her.

"Chlo, I…this is just a really big step and I'm worried they'll hate me and think I'm not good enough for you." Beca sighed, looking down at her hands. Chloe grabbed them and pulled them into her own lap, grateful for the lack of a divider between the two seats.

"Baby, if anything, it's me that's not good enough for you. And they will fall in love with you just the way I did; they know how much you mean to me. I know it seems scary but think about it this way; you're already used to me and how I am, and they're a whole lot like me, so it might take a bit of time to get used to having four more me's around but once you do, you'll realize it's not that scary." Chloe was secretly worried that her family would overwhelm Beca, too, because the Beale household could be a bit much to handle but she knew she had to be strong for both of them right now.

"Oh man…Four Chloes…" Chloe watched as Beca started daydreaming, thinking Beca was just wondering what her family was like before a pervy smile spread across Beca's face.

"Oh my god, you creep, not like that!" Chloe laughed and smacked Beca's arm.

"Dude do you KNOW what I could do with four Chloes?" Beca winked, clearly enjoying her little fantasy. Chloe rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well, too bad for you, you only have one."

"Eh, I guess one is good enough." Beca tipped her head from side to side as if she wasn't fully committed to what she was saying.

"You guess?" Chloe's tone conveyed mock offense and Beca barely had a second to react before she was tugged into a fierce kiss. Beca gasped at the sudden contact, parting her lips and giving Chloe the perfect opportunity to lick into her mouth. There was no battle for dominance here, it was very clear that Chloe was in charge and was very quickly reducing Beca to a whimpering mess. Just as suddenly as it started, the kiss ended. Chloe pulled back, a smug look on her face as she took in her girlfriend's appearance. Beca hadn't moved; her eyes were closed, lips slightly parted and a little red, face flushed, breathing a little more heavily than normal. Without opening her eyes, Beca nodded her head.

"Yup, one is, one is good."

"That's what I thought." Chloe was clearly pleased with herself, but while she had only intended on leaving Beca wanting more, she had wound up leaving herself in the same place. She bit her lip and scanned Beca's body, wanting nothing more than to rip her clothes off then and there. She got distracted by Beca's cleavage (a frequent occurrence for her, really) and failed to notice that Beca had opened her eyes and was now looking at her with her trademark smirk on her face.

"My eyes are up here, Beale." Beca quipped.

"Oh, I know." Chloe replied, not ceasing her admiration of Beca's assets.

"If you didn't want me to look, you shouldn't have worn that tank top. You **know** what it does to me." Chloe finally lifted her eyes to find Beca's own darkened slightly with lust.

"Well then, maybe you should come take it off of me." Beca's eyes flicked up to the bathroom that was slightly farther down the car. Without waiting for a reply, she got up and walked down the aisle, putting a sway in her hips that would have definitely made Chloe's knees give out had she been standing. She waited a few minutes before following Beca, noting that her girlfriend had chosen the handicapped bathroom, which was significantly larger than the other one. She opened the door just enough to slip inside and was instantly pressed up against the wall, Beca's lips on her own. She blindly groped for the lock, not wanting anyone to walk in on them. Chloe successfully locked the door and fisted one hand in Beca's hair, yanking her back so Chloe could attack her neck. On occasion, they played a bit rough and Chloe wasn't sure what she loved more: dominating Beca or being dominated by Beca. Right now though, she was in the mood to dominate and she let her hands slip under Beca's shirt to dig into Beca's hips. Chloe effortlessly flipped their positions, practically slamming Beca against the wall and barely attaching their lips in time to capture the moan that escaped Beca. Chloe's hands began working their way up from Beca's hips, until they reached bra-clad breasts. She palmed them both and kneaded them hard, eliciting another moan from the brunette she was currently pressed up against. Beca's hips ground down against Chloe's thigh that had wedged between her own legs at some point, needing to feel the friction. Chloe continued working over Beca's breasts as she directed her mouth back to her neck, nipping none too gently.

"Fuck, Chlo." Beca gasped out as Chloe sucked hard on her pulse point.

"I can't go meet your family with hickies!" Beca's protest was halfhearted as she was thoroughly distracted by what Chloe was doing to her, but Chloe knew she was right. She groaned and gently kissed the spot she had been paying particular attention to; grateful to see it hadn't started bruising.

"We should probably get back to our seats." Chloe murmured against her neck, still placing feather light kisses there. Her hands were still under Beca's shirt and had in fact made their way under Beca's bra as well, and she gave Beca's hardened nipples a pinch before slipping her hands out and resting them on Beca's hips. She pulled back slightly to see Beca's eyes squeezed shut and her bottom lip trapped between her teeth so tightly it looked as if she might draw blood.

"You ok there, champ?" Chloe teased, a smirk gracing her features. Beca groaned in response as Chloe's thumbs traced little circles on the skin of Beca's hips. Beca's eyes snapped open and Chloe quickly noticed her pupils were absolutely blown with desire.

"Just because you can't leave marks doesn't mean we have to stop." Beca tried to pull Chloe back into a heated kiss but Chloe kept it tame and pulled back after a few seconds. Beca's displeasure was evident in the glare she was currently sporting and Chloe chuckled.

"True, but you know how much I love marking you," She winked, "and I don't want our first time back together to be in a train bathroom…" Chloe leaned forward and kissed Beca gently.

"Damnit, neither do I…but I'm stressed about meeting your family and you know what stress does to me…" Beca sighed. Chloe nodded; she did know, very well, that stress turned Beca into even more of a horny teenager than usual (if possible). Sex was Beca's ultimate stress relief, almost to the point where Chloe couldn't keep up with her (almost). Sometimes Chloe secretly loved when Beca was stressed out, as horrible as that was, because who wouldn't love being jumped by their super hot girlfriend every chance she got?

"Well, I have always wanted to have sex in my own bed at home…" Chloe leaned forward and nibbled on Beca's earlobe, making another moan tumble from her lips.

"Okay, you're going to kill me if you keep doing that and don't follow through." Beca whined, reaching up to push Chloe away from her but Chloe was faster, snatching her wrists and pinning them above her head. Chloe pushed her body against Beca's, making sure every inch was pressed against her girlfriend and their lips were only millimeters apart.

"I just wanted to give you a little incentive, you know, if you're **really** good when we get to my house then I'll reward you later." Chloe's lips ghosted Beca's as she spoke and she rolled her hips into Beca's to emphasize her words. She knew she was playing dirty, and she knew Beca would be on her best behavior regardless, but she was having fun turning Beca on right now.

"Mm really? Because I was imagining it was you when I was rewarding myself yesterday…" Beca leaned forward to murmur into her ear. Now it was Chloe's turn to be speechless, her jaw dropping in shock. Beca lightly pushed Chloe off of her, kissing her cheek before tugging her out of the bathroom. It was rare that she got to render Chloe speechless and she didn't want to give Chloe the time to come up with a reply. They got a few disapproving glances from other passengers, probably because they had heard Beca moaning, but the two of them couldn't care less.

* * *

The rest of the train ride passed uneventfully; Chloe told Beca more about her family and they talked about all the things they wanted to do. Chloe lived in a suburb a little ways out of New York City, so they were definitely going to be spending a lot of time in the city. As they pulled into Penn Station, Beca took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. Chloe's brothers were coming to pick them up since they shared an apartment not too far from the station and were planning on spending a few days at home with Chloe and Beca. They had hardly made it off the train when Beca felt Chloe's hand snatched from her own, turning around to find her girlfriend being whisked into the air and sandwiched between two rather tall, muscly ginger men.

"Chlo-sandwich!" The men yelled as they squished Chloe between them. Despite being very tightly squeezed, Chloe was laughing and looked happy in a way Beca hadn't seen before, a different kind of contentment had washed over her face. Beca knew she was close to her brothers, but not having any siblings of her own, she didn't really know what that was like. As soon as they released Chloe, she grabbed Beca's hand and stood next to her.

"Beca, these are my idiot brothers, Oliver and Sam. Guys, this is Beca. Don't you-" Chloe started to warn, but it was too late. Her brothers had exchanged a mischievous look and snatched Beca up.

"Beca-sandwich!" They roared, their laughter rumbling in their chest and vibrating against Beca. Instead of freaking out, though, Beca just laughed along (mostly at Chloe's panicked expression, but she had to admit these guys seemed like fun). Chloe smacked the both of them and yelled at them to put her down. Once they did, they grinned at Beca, who was now tucked under Chloe's protective arm but grinning a little shyly back at them. She could see herself getting along with these guys.

"Welcome to the family, little alt girl!" Sam said, clapping a hand on Chloe's shoulder but looking straight at Beca. So maybe Chloe had told them what Aubrey thought of Beca, but she didn't think they would actually say anything about it. Beca looked at Chloe with an eyebrow raised, already suspecting the epithet had something to do with Aubrey, before leveling a calm gaze at the two boys.

"Nice to meet you, ginger giants." They both chuckled at that, Oliver wrapping an arm around Beca and mussing her hair. Chloe stood there trying to contain her surprise; Beca was holding her own with Chloe's brothers so far, and that definitely wasn't always an easy thing to do.

"Oliver!" Chloe whined, "Do you think you could not pick on her for like five minutes?"

"But it's our job! I mean come on, Flow-y, you've never brought anyone home before!" Sam just grinned, knowing he had probably just dropped two bombs on the girls standing in front of him. Chloe's jaw dropped and she sputtered out a weak shut up before grabbing her suitcase and dragging Beca away from her brothers. Beca's eyebrows had now shot up to her hairline; she had known Chloe hadn't been too serious with anyone before but it hadn't really occurred to her that she was the only person Chloe had ever brought home. She was also curious about Chloe's nickname, but decided to file both pieces of information away for later when Sam and Oliver weren't around. The boys quickly caught up to them, throwing an arm around each girl and grabbing their suitcases to carry for them.

Chloe just groaned and hung her head in mock exasperation. She loved her brothers but not their penchant for embarrassing her. She knew she was going to have to do some explaining, but chose to do that later. She looked up when she felt Beca squeezing her hand to be faced with a reassuring smile. That was when she felt tension she didn't even know she was carrying seep from her shoulders and for the millionth time in the last few weeks, she was amazed by her girlfriend. She hadn't expected Beca to…just to fit in so well with her brothers. Her own smile brightened and she leaned over to kiss Beca's cheek before they got into the car.

* * *

Beca would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised at herself since they had gotten off the train. Sure, Chloe's brothers had been a bit much but they were just so much like Chloe that she couldn't resist their charm. She got the same infectious excitement off of them that she did off of her own redhead and it had instantly made her feel at home with them. Not to mention it was fun seeing them pick on Chloe a bit; no one picked on the bubbly ray of sunshine she called her girlfriend. Not like her brothers did, anyway. She was curious to see what the rest of the Beale clan was like, if they were all this exuberant and so much like Chloe. But she knew that Sam and Oliver were the easy part; it was Chloe's parents that she was more worried about meeting.

During the car ride home, Beca learned that Oliver did project management for a tech company and Sam was a teacher. She would have dismissed both careers as something she knew nothing about until she learned that Sam taught music theory at an arts focused charter high school. She lit up at the mention of music and couldn't wait to talk to him more about it, and from the way his face lit up at the topic she could tell it was something he was looking forward to as well. Chloe just grinned as the two of them, nudging Oliver who was in the passenger seat. Sam was the most introverted of the Beales and sometimes it was hard for him to find things in common with other people, so watching her girlfriend bring out the best side of her brother made her heart swell. Oliver turned a bit and grinned back at his little sister; her mood had improved drastically since the last time he had seen her and he knew it was because of the tiny brunette. So far he liked Beca, and he could tell his siblings did too, but he was still curious about what had happened between the two girls. Chloe had been rather vague when she had come out to them a while ago, but she had told the boys a bit about her girlfriend and that she thought she had royally screwed everything up. He could see the way Chloe looked at Beca, it was like Beca had put the sun and moon and stars in the sky just for Chloe. But he also knew how easily Chloe opened up to people, and just because she hadn't had a serious relationship before doesn't mean she hadn't had her heart broken. Oliver just needed to make sure that wasn't going to happen at the hands of her new girlfriend. But he wasn't going to make any snap judgments; the girls were here for a month and he would have plenty of time to get to know the little alt girl. Oliver and Chloe were quietly listening to Beca and Sam go back and forth on music genres and artists for the rest of the ride, interjecting here and there. The four of them arrived at the Beale residence after about twenty minutes, and Beca's jaw dropped (there was a lot of jaw dropping going on).

The front of the house was covered in colored lights along with all the shrubbery, but it was so tastefully done that Beca had to wonder if they had hired professionals. There was a Santa Claus on the roof, complete with reindeer, and candy cane lights hanging from the tree in the front yard. Fake snow decorated all the windows alongside those little electric candles, and through the windows framing the front door Beca could see part of what looked to be an enormous Christmas tree. And sure, she had seen Christmas decorations before, but her family had never really decorated past a small tree in the living room. She had also noticed how Chloe's smile had been growing and growing the whole way home, and now it was threatening to split her face in half and her eyes were sparkling as she took in the scene before her. The front door swung open just then and two golden retrievers came bounding out the door, both of them practically jumping into Chloe's arms and coming close to knocking her over. The laughter that bubbled out of the redhead made Beca smile as she watched Chloe kneel to say hi to her two dogs. It wasn't lost on Beca how perfect it was that Chloe had golden retrievers – they were practically ginger, actually. Because of course America's sweetheart had classic American dogs. Beca happened to love golden retrievers, though, so she happily knelt down beside Chloe to cuddle them. The boys just chuckled and made their way inside, greeting their parents who were standing just inside the doorway. Chloe pushed the two dogs off of them and stood up, brushing her jeans off before turning to Beca. The two made their way up to the door, Beca just behind Chloe where she remained as Chloe's parents hugged her. The dogs had temporarily distracted Beca from the fact that she was about to meet Chloe's parents, but her anxiety was back in full force as she stood nervously in front of the two older Beales. Chloe stepped back and grabbed Beca's hand, suddenly just as nervous as Beca was.

"Mom, Dad, this is…" Chloe took a deep breath and looked over at Beca, seemingly calming down as her eyes swept over Beca's face, "this is my girlfriend, Beca." Chloe knew her parents were ok with it but she hadn't exactly told them she was bringing her girlfriend home for Christmas…she hadn't been sure how Beca would want to handle things and didn't want to tell her parents just to have Beca change her mind on their way up to New York. Beca's nervousness was only amplified by Chloe's own, so she just stood there and gave them a small wave and an awkward smile. They both grinned back at her, Chloe's mom being the first to pull her into a tight hug.

"Beca, it's such a pleasure to meet you! Chloe has told us so much about you!" Beca let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding at the warm greeting. When Chloe's mom released her, Chloe's dad pulled her in for a much quicker but just as warm hug.

"I'm Kris and this is my husband, Alex. We're so happy to finally meet one of Chloe's partners!" Chloe's mom gestured first to herself and then to her husband, who was basically just an older replica of Sam and Oliver. It was crazy how much this family looked like one another; Chloe looked like a cross between her mom and her dad, but was still very obviously related to both of them. It was clear that her mom's blonde hair hadn't made it down the line, but her blue eyes had passed along to Chloe and Oliver. Alex's green eyes had been passed along to Sam.

"It's really nice to meet you guys, too." Beca's smile was still a little shy even after she had been safely returned to Chloe's side. Her insides tightened a bit at the second reminder that this was kind of a big deal, meeting Chloe's parents and everything, but she brushed it off.

"Come in, come in! It's freezing out here!" Kris beckoned them in, both parents stepping aside to make room for the girls to pass. Chloe leaned over and kissed Beca's cheek, giving her hand a firm squeeze before pulling her inside the house. The house smelled like cookies and pine, probably due to the two huge Christmas trees inside; one in the entrance and one in the living room. Sam and Oliver had taken their bags up to Chloe's room already, so Chloe led them into a spacious living room that had a beautiful fireplace with a fire already crackling to life inside of it. The mantle was draped with stockings, one for each of the Beales with an empty spot next to Chloe's. Beca swallowed hard at that – this was suddenly becoming a little overwhelming. She hadn't realized that this would hit her so hard, being here in Chloe's house and meeting her family and spending Christmas with them…but suddenly she was feeling a lot less like a welcome house guest and a lot more like a trapped animal. Kris was saying something about hot chocolate or tea but all Beca could focus on was her breathing and how heavy Chloe's arm felt across her shoulders. She sprang up from the couch and quickly asked where the bathroom was, already heading off before hearing the complete directions. Fortunately, Oliver's instructions had begun with "upstairs," (Beca would later learn they were having the bathroom on the main floor renovated, but at that moment she didn't really care so long as she could get some space to breathe). Beca leapt up the stairs two at a time and whipped her head around, looking desperately for the bathroom. Lucky for her, the door was open so she quickly caught sight of white tile and dashed inside, shutting the door behind her and slumping down on the floor. Her abrupt exit left Chloe sitting in the living room with her brothers, who were looking at her with confusion written all over their faces. Kris walked in with two steaming cups of cocoa and set them down on the coffee table.

"Chloe, honey, where did Beca go?" Chloe's face was a mixture of confusion and concern, tinged with a bit of fear. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but more importantly she didn't know what to do. Normally she would have gone after Beca but for some reason right now she felt like Beca needed a bit of space. And that scared her. Chloe's family was everything to her, they were the most important people in her life aside from Beca, so she really wanted – no, **needed** – Beca to get along with them. So far, of course, it had been going exceptionally well, but she had seen the panic in Beca's eyes before she had run out of the room and that was freaking her out a little. Realizing she had been silent for too long, Chloe spoke up.

"Oh, um, she just went to the bathroom. She'll be right back." Chloe fiddled with the hem of her shirt and kept her eyes mostly down, hardly looking at her mother as she spoke. The manner was so unlike Chloe that Kris grabbed her hands and pulled her up to her feet.

"Chloe Marie Beale, I don't know what's going on but you go up there and you fix it." Kris' voice was stern; she had rarely seen Chloe this nervous and unsure of herself. Usually her daughter was bursting with confidence, but between Chloe's state when she had come home to come out to her parents and the way she had neglected to mention to them that Beca was, indeed, her girlfriend, Kris suspected whatever was going on with the couple had a lot to do with Chloe's abrupt change in demeanor. Chloe just sighed and nodded, gingerly walking up the steps. She deliberately took her time, both wanting and not wanting to talk to Beca about whatever was going on; of course she wanted to make sure Beca was okay, but she was terrified of Beca deciding that this was a mistake and that she wanted to go home.

"Hey, Bec…" Chloe knocked softly on the door, keeping her voice soft as well. Beca looked up from where she was now perched on the lid of the toilet but didn't say anything.

"Bec, it's just me, can I come in?" Chloe tried again, her voice tentative. Beca just stood up and unlocked the door, still saying nothing. Chloe heard the click and took a deep breath before opening the door. She found Beca sitting again on the lid of the toilet, leaning forward on her knees and playing with her rings. Chloe gently shut the door before walking over to kneel in front of Beca, placing her hands on Beca's knees.

"What's going on, Bec?" Beca at Chloe for the first time since she had entered the bathroom, hoping to find reassurance in the blue eyes she loved so much. What she found instead, though, was a particular type of concern that made all the anxiety come crashing back down like a wave over her whole body. For the second time that afternoon, Beca found herself unable to breathe. Her lungs started sucking in short breaths, never able to get enough oxygen and she felt powerless to correct their foolishness. In the back of her mind she knew that she shouldn't be freaking out, that she didn't want to be freaking out, and yet here she was.

"Beca, baby, relax. It's just me, baby. Breathe, ok? Just breathe." Chloe leaned forward and cupped Beca's face in her hands, stroking her cheekbones with the pads of her thumbs, internally freaking out because she really didn't know what to do to help Beca right now. Beca closed her eyes and pictured her mixing boards, letting her favorite mix play through her head, trying to focus on the beats and lyrics. Beca let the beats sync up with Chloe's thumbs brushing along her face and slowly her breathing returned to normal. Without opening her eyes, Beca leaned her head forward slightly to rest her forehead against Chloe's. Chloe closed her own eyes and let out a breath, grateful that what had seemed like a mini panic attack hadn't escalated into more; she would hate it if coming home with her had sent Beca into a full blown panic attack, not to mention it just wouldn't be a good sign in general.

"What am I doing here, Chlo?" Beca spoke so softly that Chloe almost didn't hear her, but she did and her eyes snapped open, head jerking back in shock. Her hands dropped from Beca's face and she had to bite her bottom lip to keep it from trembling as her eyes filled with tears.

"God, no, Chlo, please don't do that." Beca reached out to take Chloe's hands in her own.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just…this is a lot. I mean you've never brought anyone home before. And we just got back together and I'm already meeting your parents and we're spending the holidays together and I don't know, I guess it's just all hitting me now. It's a lot to take in." Beca wasn't sure why she was so panicked all of a sudden, maybe because this is the kind of Christmas she always wanted and never really had? That was something she would have to investigate on her own, not something for her to dump on Chloe right now. Not that everything she said to Chloe didn't play a huge part, too, because it definitely did.

"I…I know it's a lot. And I know it's soon, probably too soon, but I didn't want to spend the month without you. I know it was stupid and selfish and I probably – no, definitely should have thought about how you would feel about it more but I just missed you so much over the last few weeks and I thought if we could spend the break together that it might help us get back to being us a little faster and I just…love you." Chloe knew she was rambling about halfway through but she couldn't seem to stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. Beca sighed before leaning forward to kiss Chloe on the cheek.

"You're cute when you ramble, Beale," Beca smirked, "and I'm just as much to blame for this as you are. I didn't want to spend the break away from you either, and I guess I didn't really prepare myself for the reality of coming home with you. So when we got here, it was all just…overwhelming. Your brothers, your parents, the house, it's all so…it's just all so you. So warm and inviting and sincere. I've never really had that before, not like this. I'm not used to it. But it didn't take me very long to get used to you, so I'm sure it will be the same here." Beca rubbed her thumbs over the backs of Chloe's hands as she spoke, trying to hold Chloe's gaze as much as she could.

"So…you don't want to leave?" Chloe's tears had subsided but her voice was still tight as if she might start crying at any minute. Beca reached up to cup her cheek, leaning in so her lips were just a few centimeters from Chloe's.

"Nope, I just love you, too." Beca met Chloe's eyes just before the redhead's fluttered shut and Beca closed the gap between them. Chloe's lips tasted like home to Beca, and suddenly she found the reassurance she had been looking for when Chloe had first walked into the bathroom. Beca sighed into the kiss and Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's neck, bringing their bodies closer together. They kept it short and sweet, just what they both needed.

"So, um, do you want to go back downstairs?" Chloe asked, still a little unsure of herself.

"No, not until I have my obnoxiously bubbly girlfriend back. You know, the one that bosses me around all the time? That one." Beca's tone was now playful and she started tickling Chloe mercilessly. Chloe tried to squirm away but Beca was using their proximity to her advantage and kept Chloe close to her, rendering her arms useless.

"Beca!" Chloe gasped out between giggles, "Beca, stop!" Beca stilled her fingers but kept them in attack position, cocking an eyebrow at Chloe.

"Yes?"

"Mitchell, so help me if you keep tickling me you will regret it." Chloe's voice was stern, well as stern as can be considering how out of breath she was.

"Oh yeah?" Beca challenged.

"Yup." Chloe replied, popping the p. Beca had failed to notice that Chloe had slipped her hands from her neck. She quickly launched a counterattack on Beca, snatching both her wrists with one hand and using the other to assault Beca's side.

"You don't fight fair, Beale!" Beca squeaked out, laughing uncontrollably.

"I play to win, Mitchell." Chloe winked and stood up, pulling Beca up flush against her. Beca was now breathless for a completely different reason.

"I see that." She exhaled, fully intoxicated by Chloe's scent and by the sheer proximity of her girlfriend's body to her own. Chloe kissed her again, this one a little less innocent than the last, before her signature megawatt smile spread across her face; Beca was happy to see that her "obnoxiously bubbly girlfriend" was back. Seeing Chloe sad or insecure because of her always killed her, even if it was justified.

"Come on, our hot chocolate is getting cold." Chloe gave Beca another peck on the lips before pulling her out of the bathroom and back downstairs. They found Chloe's family all sitting around the coffee table chatting idly; everyone knew better than to say anything, for which Beca and Chloe were extremely grateful. They passed the rest of the afternoon and evening talking about how school was going for Beca and Chloe, both girls carefully dodging discussing the Bellas at length. It wasn't really something the two of them wanted to get into, especially not after the afternoon they had had. All in all, the evening was rather enjoyable and Chloe was extremely happy to see Beca growing more and more comfortable with her family. Maybe, she thought, things were finally starting to truly come together for her again.


	19. Chapter 19 - Handcuffs and Fantasies

Chloe awoke to the smell of bacon and pancakes wafting into her room, but when she tried to launch herself out of bed to go find the source she was stopped by the tiny yet surprisingly heavy brunette that was draped across her. Beca whimpered slightly in her sleep and wrapped herself around Chloe a little tighter, making the older girl smile. She suddenly realized that Beca hadn't woken up screaming that night, which made her smile even bigger as she tightened her arms around her sleeping girlfriend. Beca snuggled in closer on instinct, nuzzling her face against Chloe's neck. Chloe sighed in contentment; things were absolutely perfect in that moment and breakfast could wait. She closed her eyes and let herself drift back to sleep for just a little while longer.

The next time she woke up was to her phone buzzing on the nightstand. It was a text from her mom saying that her parents were going out to run a few errands and the boys had gone to the gym. Everyone would be home in a few hours and there were pancakes and bacon in the oven for whenever Chloe and Beca woke up. She checked the time, it was only ten, so she didn't feel too bad since they really hadn't slept in that late at all. Chloe reached over to put her phone back, and when she repositioned herself somehow Beca's hand wound up under her shirt, making its way up her torso. She was grateful when she heard the front door slam, knowing they were alone, but she also thought Beca was still asleep. She didn't realize that Beca had also seen the text and heard the door shut. And when the hand continued north and brushed the underside of a breast, however, Chloe couldn't contain her half gasp half moan. Beca tilted her head so that her lips came in contact with Chloe's neck and continued to tease Chloe by lightly brushing her fingertips along the top of her rib cage and just barely along the underside of her breasts. A full moan tumbled from Chloe's lips as Beca nipped at her pulse point and firmly palmed a breast. She arched into the touch, hands fisting in the sheets. Part of her wanted to flip them over and rip Beca's clothes off, but another part of her wanted to let Beca be in control. Beca's hand slipped out from under her shirt and before Chloe could protest, the younger girl was straddling her hips and kissing her hard. Beca pulled away and leaned forward to trace her tongue along the shell of Chloe's ear.

"I was dreaming about you just now," The combination of Beca's voice, still gravelly from sleep and filled with lust, alongside the way Beca ground her hips into Chloe's left no question in Chloe's mind as to exactly what flavor Beca's dreams had taken.

"Oh..oh yeah?" Chloe faltered as Beca dragged her teeth along her earlobe. She wasn't going to push Beca into something she wasn't ready for but if Beca was teasing her Chloe thought she might die.

"Mhmm…" Beca purred, lightly kissing her way down Chloe's neck and moving slightly lower so she could grab Chloe's wrists and pull her arms above her head. Chloe arched her back off the bed again, pressing their breasts together and relishing in the contact, even through their clothing. She had missed the feeling of Beca against her and couldn't wait to turn her girlfriend into a writhing mess underneath her. Little did she know, that wasn't going to happen just yet. See, Chloe Beale happened to have a thing for wrought iron headboards thanks to a yard sale where she had found one several years ago. It wasn't exactly for sexual reasons, but that was definitely an added bonus. Beca Mitchell happened to have a thing for handcuffs, thanks to Chloe Beale. At this moment, Beca happened to have some plans involving the aforementioned wrought iron headboard, handcuffs, and one Chloe Beale. Chloe had no idea Beca even had the handcuffs, let alone that she had brought them with her, so to say she was surprised when she felt a fuzzy ring encircle her wrist followed by the familiar click would be an understatement. She jerked her other wrist away in shock but Beca was too quick, catching her and clicking the other cuff firmly into place.

"Um, Bec?" Chloe's voice was an odd mix of turned on and slightly confused; she didn't really understand why she was being chained up for their first time back together. She wanted to be able to touch Beca, she **needed** to be able to touch Beca.

"Yeah, Chlo?" Beca had resumed kissing Chloe's neck, now working Chloe's particularly sensitive spot where her neck sloped into her shoulder. Chloe whimpered as Beca bit down on the spot before soothing it with her tongue, almost forgetting why she was trying to talk in the first place.

"Wh-why am I ha-handcuffed to the bed?" Chloe's sentence was choppy as Beca continued her ministrations. At her question, Beca sat up. She wordlessly began unbuttoning Chloe's top, not exactly taking her time but not rushing either. She undid the last button and pushed the shirt to pool on either side of Chloe's body, drinking in the sight before her. Chloe worked hard on her body and it showed. Beca dragged her nails from Chloe's rib cage down to her hips before looking back up to meet the bright blue orbs again. Still saying nothing, she crossed her arms over her own body, gripping the hem of her t-shirt and pulling it over her head painfully slowly. She knew Chloe's eyes were greedily taking in every inch of flesh she exposed and she liked holding Chloe's attention that way. Beca tossed the t-shirt aside and shook her head so her loose waves cascaded over her shoulders.

"Baby…as much as I'm enjoying the show, I **really** need to be able to touch you right now." Chloe was practically growling, her hips pushing up into Beca's as she spoke and hands tugging at the cuffs making them rattle against the headboard. Beca splayed her hands over Chloe's ribs, pushing down slightly to keep the redhead's body on the bed.

"I've been thinking…" Beca let her hands slip to rest on the bed on either side of Chloe, sliding them up towards her head so that Beca's nipples grazed Chloe's ever so slightly. Chloe gasped at the contact, already wondering how hard it would be to break the headboard or the handcuffs and free herself. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. It had been roughly a month since she and Beca had had sex and she thought she might die if Beca didn't touch her or un-cuff her soon.

"Do you know what it's like to go from having sex with you every day to nothing?" Beca's voice was low as her lips ghosted over Chloe's ear. Beca pressed their bodies together and Chloe moaned, unable to form a coherent answer as Beca's hips were grinding into her and lips were kissing their way down her neck. She also had no clue what Beca was playing at – she wasn't the passive aggressive type so this was a question that Chloe would never in a million years have expected to come out of Beca's mouth, especially not in bed.

"Do you know how **unbelievably** frustrated I was without you around?" Beca's words were punctuated with kisses and bites to Chloe's neck Beca shifted her weight so she was only supporting herself with one arm near Chloe's head. Chloe waited and waited for the free hand to find some part of her, anchor them together, but it never came. Instead, she felt Beca sit up slightly and saw the same free hand make it's way from Beca's neck down to her chest where she pinched a nipple between her thumb and forefinger, moaning quietly at her own actions.

"Why don't you let me make it up to you." Chloe's words were a little clipped, her voice a low growl, but she was going insane.

"I think you should watch first." Beca whispered in her ear. Chloe's lips parted in surprise and she swallowed hard. She certainly wasn't expecting this. She felt Beca's hips lift off of hers slightly and looked down to see Beca's own hand snaking into her underwear. The moan that fell from Beca's lips as she touched herself was sinful and Chloe yanked her handcuffs against the metal bars of the bed. Beca pulled back a little so she could look Chloe in the eye. She had her lower lip trapped between her teeth and her eyes were half hooded with pleasure. She picked up her pace a bit, fingers swirling around her clit. Chloe's mouth was still slightly open, she really couldn't believe this was happening. It was equal parts sexy and infuriating. Chloe watched Beca carefully, getting more and more turned on by the second, but when she saw Beca's hand delve further into her underwear, no doubt to slip two fingers inside herself, Chloe almost came then and there. She decided to lend a helping hand (or hip) and jerked her hips up into Beca's, pushing her fingers deeper and eliciting another moan. Beca shifted her hips up a bit to keep Chloe from interfering, which displeased Chloe greatly but it was clear she was not in charge here. Beca circled her clit with her thumb as she thrust into herself, leaning down so her lips were tickling Chloe's ear.

"I used to fantasize about you all the time…" Beca's words were interspersed with moans as she worked herself over. Chloe's eyes alternated between looking into Beca's own and watching what was happening on top of her.

"Mmm fuck, I'm so close…" Chloe wanted to do something, anything to help but she was powerless. Which seemed like it was exactly what Beca wanted; so Chloe just watched as the lust built up inside her.

"Chloe, shit," Beca moaned again, her fingers moving at an almost frantic pace. Chloe was biting down on her own lip so hard at this point she was almost sure she was going to draw blood. The need building up inside her was like a thundercloud waiting to burst; she needed to have her hands all over Beca, **inside** Beca, like five minutes ago. She needed to be the one making Beca moan.

"Chlo…fuck…mmm…ahhhh!" Beca's climax hit her hard and she collapsed against Chloe, panting and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Chloe wasn't sure she had ever seen anything so fucking hot in her entire life. Beca sat up a bit and gingerly pulled her fingers out of herself, locking eyes with Chloe before licking them clean. Beca knew exactly the effect this would have on Chloe, and it wasn't that she wanted to punish the redhead, it was just something that she knew would drive her a crazy. And maybe serve to make Beca feel like she wasn't powerless in their relationship. A little twisted? Perhaps, but Beca reasoned that everyone is a little twisted. It's not like she was holding a grudge against Chloe for breaking up with her. This was just something she wanted to do and thought it would be fun for both of them. She had no idea how right she had been, but she was about to find out. Beca silently fetched the key to the handcuffs and released Chloe. She didn't even have time to fully remove the second cuff from Chloe's wrist before she found herself on her back, the older girl's lips on hers and tongue erasing any thoughts Beca may have had about a battle for dominance. Chloe found Beca's breast with a hand and gave it a rough squeeze, pinching the nipple rather hard. Beca whimpered into Chloe's mouth at the exquisite combination of pleasure and pain, which only urged Chloe on further. She ground her hips down into Beca's forcefully, making sure Beca knew exactly who was in charge now. Once Chloe had decided she had effectively laid claim to Beca's mouth, she moved down to aggressively attack Beca's neck. At the last second, however, she thought better of it and proceeded instead to leave marks everywhere that would be invisible when Beca was dressed. The storm had broken and Chloe felt a desperate need to remind Beca that she was hers and to remind her exactly what Chloe was capable of doing to her. Chloe nipped and kissed and licked her way down Beca's torso, paying special attention to all the spots she knew drove Beca crazy, before moving to settle between her legs. Beca was already breathless at this point; Chloe's assault had been thorough and quite literally left her gasping. Chloe pointed her tongue and ever so lightly dragged it up Beca's folds to her still throbbing clit, making the brunette flinch. She was obviously still a little sensitive but Chloe knew how to play her like a finely tuned piano. Chloe slid her hands under Beca's ass, giving it a firm squeeze before pulling Beca a little closer and wrapping her arms around Beca's hips, effectively pinning her girlfriend down. She dragged her tongue through Beca's folds once more, but this time there was nothing light about it. She wanted to taste Beca, to feel every inch of her. She wasted no time sucking Beca's clit into her mouth, running her tongue over it at a quick pace. She pulled her right arm free to gently but firmly slip two fingers inside Beca, causing her hips to thrust into Chloe's face. Chloe just tightened her grip with her left hand, intent on keeping Beca's hips exactly where she wanted them.

"Mm fuck yes. Right there, baby." Beca moaned, rocking her hips to meet Chloe's thrusts. Chloe could feel Beca starting to tighten around her fingers as she added a third, and she started to curl them inside Beca as she picked up her pace a bit. Beca's hips lifted clear off the bed and her thighs clenched around Chloe's head as her orgasm ripped through her. Chloe helped her ride it out, only pulling away when Beca collapsed back onto the bed. Beca whimpered as Chloe slowly removed her fingers, looking down just in time to see her girlfriend lick them clean. Chloe looked her in the eye as she very provocatively sucked each finger into her mouth individually. Beca was still breathing hard; her whole body was tingling from what was probably the most intense orgasm she had ever had. She dropped her head back onto the pillow and flinched again when she felt Chloe's tongue softly caressing her clit. Chloe gently lapped up all her juices, dipping her tongue inside Beca, before returning to lightly suck on her clit.

"Baby, I – " Beca's sentence was cut off by her own moan as Chloe's tongue dipped inside her again. Beca didn't even have the energy to move her hips, instead content to lay there as Chloe slowly built her up into another orgasm. This one was nowhere near as intense as the first, but it was given so lovingly that it was just as good in Beca's opinion. Somewhere along the line Chloe's right hand had found hers, interlocking their fingers and connecting them just a bit more. There was something so intimate about it that made Beca's soul smile, and it wasn't lost on her how ridiculously in love she was with Chloe at that moment. Not because of the mind-blowing sex, although that didn't hurt, but because of the little things like that.

Chloe had moved to rest her cheek on Beca's thigh as she regained her breath as well. She loved seeing Beca like this, the brunette could seriously rock the "just fucked" look. She loved being able to make her girlfriend come undone, being able to reduce her to a slew of intelligible curses and unfinished sentences. She loved it so much that she decided it was time for round three, but she only got to take one swipe of her tongue through Beca's folds before the hand in hers was tugging her up in protest.

"Chlo." Beca's voice was a little ragged and Chloe smiled, pressing a kiss to Beca's inner thigh before crawling up her body. Chloe cuddled into the unmoving brunette's side and started to trace random patterns across her ribs. Beca captured the hand with one of her own, stilling the movements.

"You broke me." Beca mumbled after a few minutes. Chloe just chuckled, tilting her head to place a kiss on Beca's neck.

"I missed doing that."

"I can tell. But I can't take more than three orgasms in forty-five minutes." Beca nudged Chloe to move so she could wrap her free arm around the redhead, cracking one eye open when she felt clothing come between them.

"Why are you still wearing a shirt?" Beca tugged on the sleeve for emphasis, her tone conveying her displeasure.

"Well someone chained me up before taking it off. Also, if you hadn't started without me then I could have given you all three of those orgasms." Chloe pouted.

"I like tying you up." Beca hummed, pulling her arm out from around Chloe to rest on her elbow and half hover over the older girl, who was now laying on her back. She trailed her fingertips down the middle of Chloe's chest where the shirt was open before pushing it off Chloe's shoulders one at a time.

"I know you do. And that was fucking hot but next time it's my turn." Chloe pulled Beca down for a kiss that quickly turned into Beca straddling her and grinding her hips into Chloe's own. Beca's hands found Chloe's breasts as she moved to kiss her neck, being careful not to leave marks. Before Beca could get very far, however, they were interrupted by Chloe's phone buzzing on the nightstand. Chloe was fully prepared to ignore a text but the buzzing continued, making her groan and gently push Beca off of her. She groaned again when she saw that it was her mother, who of course had no idea what she was interrupting.

"Hey, Mom." Chloe rolled back over to lie next to Beca, her shirt falling open once more.

"Yeah, we're up. Haven't gone downstairs for breakfast yet. We –" Chloe faltered as Beca took one of her nipples into her mouth, biting down just hard enough to make Chloe gasp. She looked up at her girlfriend with a wicked grin before teasing the nipple with the tip of her tongue. Chloe pushed her head away with a glare.

"Sorry, I just stubbed my toe." Another glare.

"Ok, see you in half an hour." Chloe hung up and returned her phone to the bedside table before leveling Beca with a third glare in as many minutes.

"You are so bad." She admonished. The last thing she needed was her mom knowing about their sex life, and moaning while on the phone with her would be kind of a dead give away.

"You love it." Beca's wicked grin hadn't left her face, and she ducked her head to recapture the nipple she had been teasing.

"Mmm I might…"

"Want to see if I can level the playing field before your parents get home?" Beca smirked up at Chloe, placing little kisses and bites all over her breasts.

"Three orgasms in thirty minutes? I don't remember you being that good, Mitchell." Chloe teased, her sentence interrupted with small gasps and moans. If there was one thing Beca was confident about, it was her ability to please the redhead. She loved that they were getting back to their old selves with the banter as well. She had really missed that.

"Challenge accepted."

Thirty minutes and four orgasms later, Beca and Chloe stepped out of the shower. Chloe had always appreciated her en suite bathroom, but never more than now. The two were just finishing getting dressed (which took way longer than it should have because neither of them were very good at keeping their hands to themselves) when they heard voices coming from downstairs. Chloe gave Beca one last kiss before they headed down to join her family.

* * *

"Good morning!" Chloe practically skipped into the kitchen, giving both of her parents a kiss on the cheek. Her brothers hadn't returned yet, for which Chloe was grateful because she knew if they had then the breakfast that her mom had left in the oven would definitely be gone. She had definitely worked up an appetite this morning.

"Good morning, girls." Chloe's dad looked up from his seat at the kitchen table with a smile. He was reading the paper and had glasses perched on his nose and Beca couldn't help but think how picturesque the scene before her looked. Kris was just putting away the last of the groceries that they had gone out for this morning.

"Good morning Mr. Beale, Mrs. Beale." Beca said with a small wave before joining Chloe at the island. There were tall bar stools underneath the overhang which was usually where Chloe had breakfast if she had missed eating with the rest of the family at the table.

"Oh, honey, call us Kris and Alex. No need for formalities." Kris smiled at her, and honestly the amount this family smiled was a little ridiculous, but Beca found herself smiling right back all the time and she didn't hate it.

"Okay, I will." Beca's current smile was a little sheepish and she looked over at Chloe, who, of course, was beaming at her.

"Have you girls eaten?" Kris asked while she reached for the coffee grinds to brew a fresh pot. Beca looked at Chloe with a wicked grin and opened her mouth to reply but Chloe quickly cut her off, a light blush covering her face at whatever innuendo Beca had been planning on delivering.

"Nope. Haven't eaten." Chloe elbowed Beca, who was silently chuckling to herself, and got up to grab their plates from the oven.

"Here, honey, let me heat that up for you." Kris took the plates from Chloe and tossed the bacon into one pan, the pancakes into another.

"Thanks, Mom." Chloe took out three coffee mugs and leaned against the counter next to the coffee maker, clearly getting impatient with how long it was taking.

"Glaring at the coffee maker won't make it brew faster." Kris teased, tending to the food.

"It might! It's way too late in the day for me not to have had coffee." Chloe grumbled.

"Jeez, Chlo, you're starting to sound like me!" Beca chimed in, causing Chloe to stick her tongue out at her. Beca stuck her tongue out right back just as Kris turned from the stove to set two plates full of food down on the counter.

"Now, now, children." Kris chided, laughing at their antics. Beca just grinned and thanked Kris for the breakfast, waiting for Chloe to come back to start eating.

"Coffee!" Chloe practically jumped on the coffee maker as soon as the brewing light went off, pouring three steaming mugs and handing one to Kris before taking hers and Beca's to where they were sitting. Beca gratefully accepted the mug and inhaled the scent, closing her eyes and humming her approval.

"You two are way too young to need coffee this much." Kris said, her own mug gripped tightly in front of her. Both the girls were too busy nursing their coffee to touch the food yet. After a minute or two, they set down their mugs and started in on the pancakes.

"Mom, these pancakes are amazing." Chloe said between bites. Kris was a great cook and had taught Chloe, and the boys, a lot of her recipes and methods but somehow Chloe always thought her food tasted just a little bit better than what she herself could make.

"Definitely better than Chloe's." Beca added, earning herself a scowl from her girlfriend.

"Don't worry, yours are a close second." Beca winked.

"That's the last time I ever make you pancakes." Chloe muttered, swiping a piece of bacon off of Beca's plate.

"What's wrong with your bacon?" Beca questioned, since there were three pieces of untouched bacon on Chloe's own plate.

"Yours tastes better." Chloe grinned, biting down on the bacon in question and humming at the deliciousness.

"Uh huh, sure." Beca muttered, not doing anything to actually stop Chloe from stealing her bacon.

"So, Mom, do you guys have anything else you need to do today?" Kris had been quietly watching the couple. She liked Beca, but more importantly she liked how Beca treated Chloe. In the short time the two had been there, she could already see how in love with each other they were. She wasn't surprised when Chloe had told them she was a lesbian a few weeks ago, and she wasn't surprised when Beca turned out to be Chloe's girlfriend. She had a feeling that was who Chloe had been planning on bringing home, but she knew better than to push her daughter. Chloe didn't keep things from her, and if there was something she was keeping quiet about there was always a good reason.

"Not really, Alex?" Kris looked over at her husband, who peeked up from his paper and shook his head.

"We left the day open for whatever you girls want to do. Beca, have you been to New York before?" Beca was finishing the last of her pancakes and shook her head no before swallowing to speak.

"I haven't, I'm from Portland so I haven't seen a whole lot of the east coast." Beca shrugged. She had traveled a lot internationally and seen most of the notable cities on the west coast, but she hadn't spent too much time on the east coast before moving to Atlanta for college.

"Why don't we take a drive into the city and show Beca around Times Square a bit? We can have dinner somewhere there, maybe that Italian place you love, Chloe?" Kris grabbed the empty plates from the two girls and rinsed them off before putting them into the dish washer.

"That sounds great! What do you think, Becs?" Chloe turned to Beca, waiting for confirmation that the plan was a good one.

"Sounds good to me!" Beca smiled; she was excited to see the city. She loved cities and desperately wanted to live in one; she had grown up in the suburbs and wanted to go to college in a city, but Barden was free. And then of course she met Chloe, so it turned out pretty well.

"Wonderful, the boys should be home soon and then we can all go! They live not too far from the square so it should work well for them, too."

"I still have some Christmas shopping to finish so we can do that while we're there, too. I just need to stop at a couple places." Chloe's hand found Beca's under the counter, interlocking their fingers in Beca's lap. Beca still had no idea what to get Chloe for Christmas, and now she had to figure out what to do for Chloe's family as well.

"Perfect. Chloe, why don't you show Beca around out here until the boys are home? We'll call you when we need to leave." Kris was straightening things up in the kitchen as she spoke, turning back to the girls as she finished her sentence.

"Good idea, let's go, Becs!" Chloe bounced out of her chair and pulled Beca along with her. Kris and Alex were used to their daughter's exuberance, but something about the tiny DJ was making her happier than usual (which was hard to do) and it made them both smile. Even Beca was a little surprised at how much energy her bouncy kitten of a girlfriend had today, but she had a pretty good idea what was making Chloe so happy. Everything seemed to be falling back into place for them and it was making Beca just as happy. Before they reached the door, Beca stopped and gave a sharp tug on Chloe's hand to bring the redhead stumbling back into her arms. Beca gracefully caught her, grinning and pointing to the mistletoe hanging above them before tapping her own cheek to indicate that Chloe owed her a kiss. Chloe just chuckled at how cute her girlfriend was, giving a kiss to both cheeks before placing a light one on Beca's lips.

"You're so cute, Mitchell." Chloe stated as she stepped out of Beca's arms.

"Woah, how does getting some sugar from my honey make me cute?" Beca scoffed, keeping her voice low so Chloe's parents wouldn't be able to overhear them.

"'Getting some sugar from my honey?' Who says that?" Chloe laughed, getting into the drivers seat of her mom's car.

"Apparently, I do. But it does not make me cute!" Beca protested, crossing her arms and pouting slightly.

"You're really not helping your case here, babe. You're adorable when you pout." Chloe pointed out as she backed out of the driveway.

"Not adorable! There is nothing adorable about me! I'm a badass!" Beca flailed her hands as if that would help convince Chloe of exactly how badass she was.

"Oooookay babe, whatever you say." Chloe patted Beca's knee, smirking at her slightly flustered girlfriend.

"I. You. Grrrr." Beca literally growled at Chloe, making the redhead laugh hard.

"Baby, do you really think that growling at me is going to make you more badass? Because it just made you cuter." Chloe reached over to pinch Beca's cheek, the brunette swatting her hand away almost instantly.

"Watch it, Beale." Beca pointed at her with mock seriousness.

"Or what? You'll cuddle me to death? Because you're so cute I don't think you're capable of much else." Chloe laughed, thoroughly enjoying teasing Beca.

"I could just withhold sex for a week." Beca tossed out casually. It was a good thing they were already stopped at a stop sign, because Chloe was pretty sure she would have slammed on the breaks at that one.

"Now hold on, let's not do anything rash." She turned to Beca as if the brunette were pointing a gun at her head, her right hand cautiously outstretched.

"Not so cute anymore, am I?" Beca's shit eating grin spread across her face as she turned in her seat, facing Chloe with her arms crossed. Chloe's eyes flicked down to where her arms were pushing her boobs up and accentuating her cleavage before looking back at her face.

"Definitely not cute. The furthest thing from cute. Totally badass." Chloe's tone was tentative as if she were really afraid Beca would withhold for a week, but they both knew that wasn't about to happen. They had been compared to rabbits for a reason, and Chloe really hoped that this morning meant they were getting back to that.

"That's what I thought." Beca stated triumphantly, turning back to face forward. Chloe just chuckled, she still found the whole conversation very cute, and continued to drive. She showed Beca around her town, her high school, and a few of the places she used to frequent. It was a smallish town, so there wasn't really that much to do. The two of them were sitting in the parking lot of Chloe's favorite park about forty-five minutes later when Chloe got a call from her mom saying they should head back. She leaned over to give Beca a quick kiss before starting the car and leaving the lot.

"Hey Chlo, um, I want to get something for your parents for Christmas. But I don't know what to get them. I also don't know what to get you." Beca said a little nervously. She and Chloe hadn't talked about Christmas presents yet, so she didn't know if the redhead was planning on getting her anything, but she wanted to get something nice for her anyway.

"That's really sweet, Becs," Chloe grinned, "I'm sure they would appreciate whatever you get them. But my dad really likes books, and my mom loves to write. There's a great bookstore here that I absolutely love, we could go check that out tomorrow?" Chloe suggested. Beca grinned back at her and nodded.

"Perfect! What about you? I know we didn't really talk about-"

"Oh, I already have your present picked out. I just need to get it today." Chloe cut her off, waving a hand in Beca's direction.

"Wait, what? You do?" Beca couldn't contain her slight surprise, she hadn't expected Chloe to already know exactly what she was getting her. They had only been back together for about a week after all.

"Yup." Chloe replied, popping the p.

"Well, do I get a hint?" Beca turned slightly to face Chloe, now getting excited about whatever her girlfriend had in mind.

"Nope!" Chloe popped the p again, clearly enjoying having a surprise. Beca pouted at her and attempted her best rendition of Chloe's puppy dog eyes.

"Babe, I invented that look. Not gonna work." Chloe laughed, shaking her head.

"But Chloeeee" Beca whined, hoping she could get the older girl to crack.

"Not a chance, Mitchell, now stop that before I have to pull over to kiss that pout off your face. Too cute." Chloe teased, knowing she was going to get Beca riled up with the cute comment.

"You're the worst." Beca huffed, turning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. She was playing up the childish card on purpose, goofing around with Chloe was one of her favorite things to do. She didn't, however, expect Chloe to actually pull the car over.

"What did I tell you about pouting?" Chloe asked as she lightly gripped Beca's chin to turn her face towards her. Beca just continued to pout, loving the way Chloe's eyes were sparkling with mischief before she leaned in to make good on her promise. Beca eagerly kissed her back and probably would have ended up in her lap if it hadn't been for the seatbelt that was keeping her on her side of the car. Chloe pulled away a little breathless, eyeing Beca as she reached to put the car back in drive.

"Why do I get the feeling you kept pouting so I would do that?" She threw a sidelong glance in Beca's direction as she spoke, watching as a cheeky grin overtook Beca's face.

"'Cause I did." Beca just kept grinning. "Don't think you distracted me from my question!"

"I have an idea…but it's not exactly PG…" Chloe bit her lower lip as she looked at Beca.

"I'm listening."


End file.
